Precocious
by EmmyLynna
Summary: Whatever Viktor Nikiforov wanted, he would get. And the moment his eyes locked onto the cute omega, he knew that Yuuri Katsuki would be his. That's why during recess he marched over, held his hands, and proclaimed, "Yuuri, starting today, I'm your alpha and you're my mate!" Much to the shock of their classmates and teachers. So what if he was only seven-years-old and Yuuri was six?
1. Viktor was always extra, even at age 7

**Chapter One: Viktor was always extra, even at age seven**

 _In which Viktor Nikiforov proclaims Yuuri Katsuki as his, in front of the entire school._

Viktor Nikiforov knew he was a talented child. His mother often told him that he was destined for something great. As a three-year-old, he had asked her what "destined" meant back then and she smiled that sweet heart-shaped smile of hers and explained that one day he will find himself using his gifts for something good. And that he will bring joy to many people. It took awhile for him to realize that she had not meant gifts like the stuffed poodle he got for his birthday or the expensive jewelry that his father gave his mother on their anniversary, but rather a skill or a talent.

No one could ever say that Viktor Nikiforov lacked in confidence. However, he was never arrogant-again another word that his mother explained to him. He excelled in all his subjects under the instruction of the private tutors his father hired, reading at a young age and becoming fluent in English and French, in addition to his native Russian.

So it was no surprise to his parents when he received his letter of acceptance into the prestigious Kubo International School for Gifted Students. It was a prestigious private school that began with kindergarten all the way to grade 12 and only accepted the best of the best. The admission process was daunting, consisting of an array of practical and written tests, essays, multiple individual interviews with the parents and the child, a psychological test, and a group interview to see how the child interacts with his peers. Being accepted into Kubo International was no small feat and being able to afford it was no easier. As the only son of a wealthy CEO and a retired professional figure skater, it looked like just another milestone for Viktor's way to greatness.

With his natural charm and bright disposition Viktor easily became one of the most popular students upon entering the school. His peers waved and many of the older students also cheerfully greeted him as he walked down the halls to his homeroom. The Nikiforov name was illustrious and well-known internationally due to the success of the family business, Nikiforov Industries, which continued to grow and expand globally even in light of the recent recession.

Viktor gave a quick grin to a blushing beta that he vaguely recognized from his grade, only half listening to Chris babble to Mila and Georgi about the latest video game his father bought for him. Chris, short for Christophe Giacometti, was an alpha and was the son of wealthy Swiss philanthropists. Georgi Popovich, also an alpha, came from a family of lawyers while Mila Babicheva was the daughter of Russian socialites and the sole alpha female in their tight-knit group. But to Viktor they were simply his three closest friends. He may have been popular, but Viktor treasured the friendship that he cultivated with the other three. He had already known Chris since they were family friends before they started school at Kubo International and the two quickly befriended Georgi and Mila on their first day of kindergarten the previous year.

Many years from now, Viktor would tell you that he couldn't recall anything particularly special that would have pinpointed that the day would be a turning point in his life. It was the 17th of September, and it started off like any other ordinary day. The novelty of the new school year had already begun to wear off. While some of the upperclassmen already began to groan about projects and assignments, his class of hyper first graders still had yet to completely shake off the excitement from summer vacation. He entered their homeroom first and took his seat in the first row, draping his bag behind his chair and propping his head on his hand as he stared out the window.

Georgi sat down to his right, Mila followed and took her seat the next column over while Chris passed him to take his seat in the row behind Viktor.

"What's with the new desk?" Chris pointed to Viktor's left. Viktor blinked at the empty desk and chair beside the window. He turned around and saw that it was the only desk placed in the column, sticking out like a sore thumb. There were no other desks behind it.

"We'll be having a new student join us today," their teacher Ms. Arena stated as she walked into the classroom and took her place behind her own desk in the corner. She shuffled a couple of papers and circled something with her pen. "He will be coming in shortly, so for now let's start with attendance…"

The next minute passed in its usual fashion. Viktor was already back in a daze, only briefly interrupted in his daydreaming to raise his hand when his name was called before he turned back again to the window to stare at the tree branches dancing hypnotically. Their green leaves were still flush and full in color under the last few warm days of summer. Soon enough October will be coming and the autumn wind will begin to chill the leaves in different shades of red and yellow.

A knock at the classroom door interrupted his wandering thoughts again as he and all the rest of his classmates perked up and turned their heads toward the door. Ms. Arena stood up to open the door and they watched as she bent down to shake a small trembling hand. "Hello, you must be Yuuri, welcome to Kubo International." A soft mumbling reply can be barely heard as the students broke out in curious whispers. They were getting impatient to see the newcomer since the door blocked the new student from view.

"Come on, I can't see," Chris muttered as he tried to peer over the heads of the other students. Ms. Arena was still talking to Yuuri in a hushed voice.

Viktor couldn't see the student yet either, but since the door opened he smelled something really nice. It was a strange mixture of fresh crisp air, not unlike the winter air he loved to ice skate in when he and his mother used to go to the outdoor rink. Mixed with it was a floral scent, although he couldn't pinpoint exactly what type of flower and strangely, a hint of cinnamon. Viktor frowned at the otherwise beautiful scent being doused with the unpleasant acridness of distress. Whoever the new student was, he must have been very uneasy at his new environment. He clenched his fingers. The thought of the student being in distress unsettled him, and not simply out of a sense of empathy. His brows furrowed. A wave of protectiveness welled up in him. He felt the inexplicable need to soothe away the student's fears.

At last Ms. Arena bent to stand up and pushed the door open the rest of the way, finally revealing the small raven-haired Asian boy. Burgundy brown eyes blinked at the rest of the classroom like a deer caught in headlights behind a pair of eyeglasses.

Blue-eyes widened. 'Oh…' Viktor straightened in his chair as his eyes stared at the new student. He was shorter than average. Even though Viktor could tell that the boy was slightly chubby, the clothes still slightly dwarfed his body, further accentuating his small frame. 'He's really cute.'

The young boy bowed his head and allowed himself to be led to the front and center of the room. Viktor could see how he was worrying his bottom lip in his nervousness and how the hand that was not in Ms. Arena's was trembling at his side.

Ms. Arena stood at the front of the room and gently steered the new student to stand in front of her. She placed her hands lightly on Yuuri's shoulders. "Everyone, please welcome Yuuri Katsuki. He will be joining us today." In a softer voice she asked, "Yuuri, would you like to introduce yourself?" The boy still had his head bowed down as he shuffled his feet. The little boy whispered a reply. Viktor couldn't even hear him from the front row.

"I'm sorry, Yuuri sweetie you will have to speak a little louder. Don't be nervous, we're all friendly here. Everyone wants to meet you."

Yuuri tilted his chin high enough just to show his brown eyes behind the fringes of his bangs, "I'm Yuuri Katsuki."

"Good, and how old are you, Yuuri?"

"S-six." That response prompted a series of titters throughout the room.

"Why didn't he start on the first day, Ms. Arena?" A female beta asked from the back of the room.

"Yuuri had to take some extra special steps, Yuuko. But you see, Yuuri here is very smart." Ms. Arena positively beamed and lightly patted Yuuri's shoulder. "He passed the exams with grades high enough to get a scholarship into our school! And that's something to be very proud of, right Yuuri?"

The boy just gave a small squeak and quickly nodded his head.

"As an international school, many of us were born outside of the United States or our families came from other countries. Where is your family from, Yuuri?"

"Japan."

"That's where Yuuko is from as well," Ms. Arena said. When she sensed that she wasn't going to get much else from Yuuri she turned to the rest of the class, "Everyone please be nice to our new student. I don't want to hear anything unfriendly. Remember, treat others the way you want to be treated. Now Yuuri, you can take that seat we prepared for you by Viktor over there. Viktor, please raise your hand."

Viktor gulped as Yuuri locked his eyes on to his. He raised his hand, feeling it shake slightly as he sensed his heart rate increase as he watched the younger boy take a tentative step towards him. Yuuri shuffled over to him in small steps, hands clutching the straps of his backpack. Although he was unable to lock eyes with anyone earlier, Yuuri's eyes appeared to be just as unable to break eye contact with Viktor's.

As he passed by Viktor's desk, he was able to get a fresh wave of Yuuri's scent. The wash of nervousness that initially overpowered his scent began to dissipate, leaving behind his natural aroma of fresh winter air and hint of cinnamon. Viktor took in a deep breath and smiled when he discovered that he was now able to identify the floral undertone of Yuuri's scent. He smelled of magnolias. Freshly bloomed, just like the bouquet his father once gave to his mother.

He reached over and offered an open palm to Yuuri. The shorter boy blinked wide eyes at him and hesitantly raised his own right hand to place it in Viktor's. Viktor smiled at the perfect fit. Even Yuuri's fingers were soft as he shook it in a gentle handshake, "I'm Viktor Nikiforov." He gave the new student a wide smile.

"H-hi, V-Viktor," Yuuri whispered and ducked his head in embarrassment. His cheeks grew a violent shade of pink.

'Adorable!' Viktor hesitantly let go of Yuuri's hand as Ms. Arena called the class's attention to their first lesson of the day. The warmth that he felt in his chest earlier swelled and flowed from his head to his toes. His right hand, the one he used to hold Yuuri's felt warm as he rested his head on it, trying to discreetly sniff at the residual scent of magnolias that Yuuri left there. He couldn't understand why but he was so happy and he knew it had everything to do with the new student beside him. Something clicked in him then and there, like something shifted in the universe and all was finally right again.

* * *

"You're staring at him again, Viktor."

"Hn?"

"See, I told you, there's something wrong," Chris muttered to Georgi and Mila while they sat down eating lunch outdoors later that Friday. The weather was still fair and they took full advantage of it on a set of tables placed at the edge of the playground. They watched as their silver-haired friend stared at the new Japanese student sitting at the opposite corner of the courtyard surrounded by a small group of betas and omegas. They had just learned that the new student was an omega, so it made more sense that he didn't spend so much time around alphas since omegas tended to socialize more easily with betas and fellow omegas.

"Do you think the new student is actually a witch and placed a curse on Viktor?" Georgi hissed as he turned to look at Yuuri with suspicious eyes.

"Oh God please not witches again," Mila groaned and rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand, my babushka told me this story once about how one girl in her village cursed this boy who was mean to her. He lived the rest of his life like the walking dead!"

"Are we talking about zombies now?" Chris perked up at the opportunity for a change in topic, "My cousin got this new video game where you shoot zombies, it's called–"

"No! The boy was placed under a spell and he couldn't control his body. But he can still breathe, eat, and walk so he spent the rest of his life trapped because no one could tell that there was something wrong with him. What if that happened to Viktor?"

"Your grandmother seriously has got to stop telling you all those horror stories."

Mila huffed and turned over to poke Viktor on his side, "Hey, Viktor. Viktor!" She gave him three more successive pokes. The third poke seemed to finally wake him up from his trance.

Viktor coughed on the juice he was drinking and sputtered, "W-what?" He crushed his empty juicebox and placed it on his tray.

"Care to tell us why you've been staring at Yuuri this whole week? Why don't you just go over and talk to him already? You can invite him to eat with us." Viktor turned around to look back at Yuuri and pondered her idea as if he never thought of it before.

"But Mila," Georgi protested.

"You see, Georgi," Mila said gesturing with her head to Viktor, "He's not under a witch's spell at all, but he is sick."

"What do you mean sick?" Chris asked confused.

Mila sighed and explained as if she were talking to toddlers instead of two boys her age. "Viktor's lovesick. Duh! Isn't it obvious?"

"What's being lovesick? I don't get it," Chris was not getting the picture at all. Understandable given his age, but a little hard to believe given how we all know how he will turn out after puberty hits.

"He's in love!" Georgi gasped in comprehension and clapped his hands. "My babushka also told me these beautiful fairytales where true love's kiss would break any curse."

Mila facepalmed. "I thought we just said that Viktor is not under a curse."

Chris shifted over the bench closer to Viktor, "Hey Viktor, are you in love?"

Viktor balked and turned around with wide eyes. "Am I what?"

"Come on, from one alpha to another," Chris said borrowing a phrase he often heard his older cousin use with his friends, "are you in love with Yuuri?"

"Yuuri?"

"Yeah, Yuuri Katsuki. I think we only have one Yuuri in our class. Maybe in the entire school. Are you in love with him?"

Viktor blinked quickly as he leaned away from Chris. "Um…"

Mila and Georgi shifted closer to the now uncharacteristically skittish alpha. He appeared to be deep in thought. He turned around to look again at Yuuri again, one finger on his lips like he always did when he trying to figure out a hard puzzle. After a couple of seconds passed this way, Mila decided to speak up. "How do you feel when you see Yuuri, Viktor?"

Viktor turned back to Mila. "I don't know. Warm, I guess?"

"Like a fever?" Chris gave a soft oof when Mila elbowed him in the ribs.

"Chris, quiet. You're not helping."

Viktor shook his head and laughed. "No of course not! More like the kind of warmth you feel when you drink hot chocolate after a very cold day. The kind of warmth that goes all around your body."

"Go on."

Viktor smiled at Mila and closed his eyes, picturing something in his mind's eye. "It's the kind of warmth I also felt when mama used to hug me. My heart also beats faster when I see him, but not because I'm scared, just happy." A wide heart-shaped smile formed on his face as he finally opened his eyes. "Yes, that's it. Yuuri makes me happy. And I want to have that feeling all the time. Back when I shook his hand on his first day, I felt some sort of spark too. Something felt right. I didn't want to let go of his hand."

Mila squealed causing the boys to cringe. "I knew it! Oh Viktor," she leaped over to hug him, "You're in love! Go get him!"

"He is?"

"I am?"

"Who's getting who?"

"Viktor is going to get Yuuri!" Mila yelled back at the two other boys. She turned back and placed both hands on Viktor's shoulders, leaning over so that her eyes were aligned with Viktor's. "Viktor, don't you see? You have to tell Yuuri you love him. Court him, woo him like a true alpha. Then he will surely fall for you too! It's destiny!"

'Destiny?' There was that word again. "You are destined for great things," his mother once said. He could almost see her warm emerald eyes shining down at him. Maybe Yuuri was also part of his destiny. He shook his head. No, Yuuri was definitely part of his destiny. What was that other word again? Fate? Yes, that was it. They were meant for each other. That's why he felt such a close bond to him the moment they first met.

"Any true alpha knows what he wants and gets what he wants. Never be afraid to claim what is rightfully yours, Viktor," another memory, this time his father's words came to mind. It was one of many lectures he received on bringing pride to the Nikiforov family. "Never be afraid to claim what is rightfully yours." The words rang again in his mind. That's right. His father always taught him that Nikiforovs always get what they want and he was no exception. Viktor nodded, hands fisted by his sides as he stood up with a determined glint in his eyes.

"Viktor?"

"Yes, I am in love with Yuuri Katsuki." He turned to see his closest friends looking at him with varying expressions. Chris looked amused; Georgi appeared a strange mix of happy but also nervous, no doubt still wondering if Yuuri had him under a spell; and Mila looked absolutely delighted. "And Yuuri Katsuki is mine." He turned around to watch the omega laugh at something a fellow omega said. Even from afar, his heart swelled at hearing the sweet tinkling tune of his omega's gentle laugh. He wanted to make Yuuri laugh as well. With a new mission, Viktor straightened the lapels of his uniform jacket and strode over to the opposite end of the courtyard with confident strides.

"Wait Viktor, where are you going?" Mila called out.

"Viktor?"

"Hey, Viktor!"

Viktor didn't hear his friends as he continued to walk over to Yuuri Katsuki. Students of varying ages parted and stared at him wondering what he was doing at the part of the courtyard where omegas and betas generally congregate. He ignored the confused looks of teachers and staff who hesitated to confront him on why he was in this section of the courtyard. While the school didn't have explicit segregation rules for the secondary genders outdoors, it was almost an unspoken rule to have the students in separate areas.

As he came closer to the object of his affections, Viktor called out, "Yuuri!" The omega squeaked and ducked his head as he stared back at the alpha quickly approaching him.

"V-Viktor?" Yuuri brought his arms and legs closer to his body from where he sat on the bench, a nervous omega's protective instinct to make himself smaller. The omegas and betas around Yuuri gave Viktor a confused stare and began to whisper.

Viktor paid them no mind. He only had eyes for Yuuri as he gently took the omega's right hand and then his left hand until he was holding both gently in the small space between them. He took the moment to memorize the sight before him. Yuuri was staring at him with wide eyes, the same deer in headlights stare that he gave the class on that first day. But this time, those two gorgeous eyes were trained on him and him only. He could drown in them forever. A pink blush gave his cheeks a healthy glow and the September breeze gently swayed his hair raven back and forth, allowing Viktor to breath in Yuuri's scent. This was the closest he's been to Yuuri outside of class.

He gave Yuuri his trademark smile, causing the omega to blush deeper and give a tremulous, tentative smile back. The entire courtyard was silent, with teachers, students, and staff trained in on the strange image of the young alpha and omega.

Without breaking eye contact with Yuuri, Viktor took a deep breath and proclaimed in a voice loud enough to be heard in the entire courtyard, "Yuuri, starting today, I'm your alpha and you're my mate!"

* * *

Cross-posting from Archive of Our Own. As you can tell, I tinkered with the ages of the characters to suit my AU. I adore young!Yuuri and young!Viktor and I wanted to read a fic of their younger selves interacting, so I decided to write my own. Comments and concrit are always welcome. And please reach out to me at .com! I'd love to talk about all things YOI!


	2. Yuuri just wanted a week without panic

**Chapter 2: All Yuuri wanted was a first week without panic attacks**

 _But since when did Yuuri ever get what he wanted?_

Just when he thought that he was blushing hard enough, Yuuri felt his cheeks and ears grow even hotter. He could feel sweat begin to collect at the back of his neck. He leaned back from Viktor but couldn't move further since his hands were still being held tightly in the alpha's hands.

"W-what?" Yuuri could hardly recognize the high-pitched squeak that came from his lips. He blinked and shook his head, as if it would help him make sense of the strange scenario he found himself in.

Viktor's heart-shaped smile grew even wider and he tilted his head, taking in how Yuuri now looked like a ripe tomato. "You're my mate, Yuuri. As your alpha, I'll always be by your side and take care of you from now on." He paused and thought of the words he heard from one of the movies he saw Baba Lilia watching, "'In sickness and in health,'" he quoted, "And in death we do not...part?" His brows furrowed. No, that didn't sound right. How did it go again? Oh well, it didn't matter. "Something like that!" He beamed and swung their arms back and forth.

"Yuuri, smile!" A voice came from Viktor's right and the alpha turned and was blinded by a flash. He blinked his eyes several times and saw that it was the tan beta that was sitting beside Yuuri earlier. Viktor couldn't really see his face since it was being obscured by a polaroid camera but he remembered the beta who usually sat at the back of their classroom.

"PHICHIT!" Yuuri looked positively horrified as he watched the beta take one step to the left.

"You're still not smiling," Phichit complained. Another flash. "Viktor, you too please." The beta made a waving motion with his hand.

"Okay!" Viktor gently steered Yuuri to his right, arms around the omega's shoulders. "Cheese!" Yuuri just stood tense, shoulders hunched as Phichit took one step closer.

"Perfect!" Another flash. Phichit looked back from the camera. "These are going to look great!" He said, shaking the developing polaroids.

"Thank you! It's Phichit, right? Can I have one?" Viktor said stepping away from Yuuri.

"Sure!"

Yuuri groaned and dropped his face in his hands. He still couldn't understand what was going on. Just two minutes ago he was chatting with Phichit and laughing at something Guang Hong said to Leo when he noticed Viktor walking over to them. He actually smelled Viktor's unique eucalyptus and citrus scent before he saw the alpha, the wind carrying it over to where he was sitting. Ever since his first day he was very attuned to the alpha's whereabouts and he didn't know why.

Now that his initial confusion was gone it was as if someone turned on the volume again in the courtyard. He heard some cooing and giggling, mostly from omegas, about how cute he and Viktor looked. Then came the whispers and hushed voices that created the song of gossiping students which were then punctuated by some hoots and raucous laughter from older betas and alphas. Yuuri peered through his fingers to see his classmates staring and pointing at him and Viktor. His eyes skittered back and forth to look around the courtyard and to his dismay he could still see all of them looking at him. Yuuri then bit his lip when he noticed that it wasn't just the students.

The teachers. Grown-ups were also looking at him. Yes, some of them were smiling but Yuuri caught more than a handful that looked at him and Viktor with concern and a hint of disapproval.

No. No, no, no…

He gasped and took a step back. Yuuri felt himself tense up even further as he took a deep breath. Was he in trouble?

"Yuuri?"

The omega ignored Viktor's worried call. Instead, he stepped further back away from the alpha and turned in the opposite direction looking for some means of escape. Anywhere that will hide him from the courtyard's piercing stares.

Yuuri's breaths became shallower when he couldn't find a clear path. Students and grown-ups were everywhere, and they were still staring! Why can't they stop staring?! He began to hyperventilate.

"Oh no…" Phichit was frowning as he began to recognize what was happening to his best friend.

"Phichit, what's going on?" Viktor frowned at the beta, torn between grabbing Yuuri's hand and standing where he was. In his moment of hesitation, Yuuri took two more steps away from him.

"He's having a panic attack."

"What's a panic attack?" Whatever it was, Viktor hated it. If he thought Yuuri's scent was bad while he was nervous on his first day in front of the classroom, it was nothing compared to how he smelled now. He couldn't even find a trace of Yuuri's natural scent anymore. It was completely cloaked by the overpowering stench of distress.

The poor omega began to gasp for air. That was enough. Viktor himself began to get nervous as he reached out to place a hand on Yuuri's shoulder.

Wrong move. Yuuri flinched away from the contact.

Viktor drew his hand back, hurt by the rejection. "Yuuri?" The omega seemed to be in his own world.

Phichit stepped beside Viktor, and Leo and Guang Hong stood up sensing that the situation was getting worse. "Take deep breaths, Yuuri," Phichit coached.

Yuuri's hands began to shake as he let out a whimper. He looked over Viktor's shoulder to see a stern looking teacher walk over to them. "NO!" And with a burst of adrenaline he bolted, pushing through the crowd in front of him.

"Yuuri!"

 **0oo0oo0**

Yuuri's parents always told him that he was special. Okaa-san, Otou-san, and Mari-neechan were all betas. Because of that he was always referred to as their sweet omega son. He knew that it was meant as a term of affection, and there were plenty of times that he would smile and hug his mother back when she would coo at him and refer to him as her baby omega.

But there were also plenty of times that he hated it.

Sometimes, he thought, maybe if he wasn't an omega he wouldn't be so short. Maybe if he wasn't an omega he wouldn't be so chubby. Omegas were known to have softer bodies, a natural adaptation that lend to their predisposition to nurture and soothe.

Worst of all? Maybe if he wasn't an omega he wouldn't be so weak. Maybe if he wasn't an omega he wouldn't always be so nervous, so scared of every little thing.

Why couldn't he just be born a beta instead?

Somehow, even among such tumultuous and self-destructive thoughts, Yuuri excelled. His pre-school teachers noted his quiet competitive nature. Yuuri always studied hard and in kindergarten, he was able to already take math classes with the second graders. Minako Okukawa, his ballet instructor and longtime family friend of the Katsukis, graduated from the Kubo International School for Gifted Students and was the one who brought the idea of having Yuuri apply during one of the many dinners she spent at their inn.

"Kubo International huh? That's the large private school over at Willowbrook County, isn't it?" Toshiya asked over a cup of sake.

"I heard it's very hard to get in," Mari noted as she looked over at her brother who was only half-listening to them. He was too busy devouring his katsudon to pay the conversation any proper attention.

"It is, but I think Yuuri-chan can do it," Minako turned her eyes to the young omega as well. "And I think it will be good for him."

"But can we afford it? Private schools, especially ones as prestigious as that is most likely out of our budget," Hiroko said, "Of course I would like the best for Yuuri-chan as well, but we also have to be realistic."

"Don't worry Hiroko-san, there are a few scholarships that Yuuri-chan can qualify for. It's going to be hard, but I think he will be able to get at least one to make it more affordable." Minako turned to Yuuri then and asked, "Yuuri-chan, what do you think?"

Yuuri paused with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, "Think about what?"

"Kubo International, should we give it a try?" Minako smiled, catlike and mischievous as she bent down so that she was eye level with Yuuri. She bumped his shoulder with her elbow. "I think you should give it a try."

The omega wasn't sure what the woman was referring to but knew from past experience that it was always best to simply agree. It caused him less trouble in the long run. "Okay, I'll give it a try." He went back to eating his katsudon.

Boy did he end up regretting that decision very quickly once he found out what he just agreed to.

Fall and winter that year were a whirlwind, as Minako helped him and his parents gather all the materials needed for his applications. Three essays, three letters of recommendation, and a portfolio that included some pictures and videos of his past ballet performances as demonstration of his extra-curricular activities were submitted right before the deadline.

If he thought that was bad the interviews were a lot worse. Minako helped his mother pick out his first suit and he couldn't help but fidget under the stiff collar and the tight tie. He had no idea how he survived those interviews. It was a blur of faces, and for the life of him Yuuri couldn't recall the details. Perhaps it was his mind's way of repressing what must have been a traumatic experience. He simply sighed in relief and was grateful that all of it was over.

By the time winter gave way to spring he had forgotten all about Kubo International School. Until that one April day—he could remember it clearly because it snowed that day. Unfortunately not enough for school to be cancelled. Yuuri was just on his way back, walking side by side with Mari after getting off the bus when he saw his mother come running out to the sidewalk.

"Yuuri-chan, come quick! It arrived earlier today, but we wanted you to open it! Minako-san is here too, come!" Hiroko was bouncing up and down in excitement as she waved a large envelope in her hand.

"There's a letter for me?" Yuuri was confused. He never got any mail.

"Oh it must be your decision letter," Mari grabbed on to his hand and tugged him forward. "Come on, don't you want to know?"

"Know what? What's the decision for?"

"Whether you got accepted into that Kubo place."

Yuuri blinked and groaned internally as he trudged on forward. He had wanted to forget all about the school. He then winced as he began to feel guilty. It wasn't fair to his parents, Mari-neechan or Minako-sensei though. They worked hard for it too. As they reached their porch his mother gave his forehead a kiss and handed him the envelope. He grasped the slightly frayed edges feeling the weight of several papers inside.

They stepped inside and made their way to the dining area of their inn. His father and Minako were already seated on one of the tables.

"Come on, Yuuri, right over here!" Minako patted the chair next to her. She appeared to be the most excited out of all of them.

Yuuri walked over and dropped his backpack on the floor as Mari and Hiroko sat down. With shaking hands he chose one corner and began to carefully tear off the edge. Everyone around the table leaned forward as he placed his small hand inside to pull the papers out. He first took the topmost paper. It was thick and looked fancy somehow, even though it was plain ivory in color. 'Here goes,' Yuuri took a breath and unfolded it.

"Well?"

"Dear Yuuri Katsuki, we are pleased to inform you—" He got cut off with a loud squeal in his ear as Minako reached over to trap him in a tight hug.

"ACCEPTED! I KNEW IT! YES!"

Cheers erupted around the table as his parents stood up and hugged each other. Even Mari beamed as she walked over to join Minako in hugging Yuuri.

"Oh Yuuri-chan my sweet baby omega, you should be so proud of yourself!" Hiroko gushed. Was she actually crying? Toshiya laughed and gave Yuuri a gentle pat once Minako and Mari let go of Yuuri.

Yuuri smiled and just stared at the acceptance letter in disbelief.

"What are the other papers in there?" Mari shuffled them around.

"Let's see, a campus map, brochures on different clubs, forms to purchase his uniforms and school materials, tips for the first day…" Minako flipped through them quickly and handed them over to Toshiya when she couldn't find what she was looking for. "Come on, come on, ah here we go." She opened another plain white paper and quickly skimmed its contents. "Look at this Yuuri-chan, not only did you get in, you also got a scholarship!" She turned the paper around and showed it to his parents. "This should cover his entire tuition, this is excellent!"

Hiroko gave a sigh of relief, "Oh that is just wonderful! That settles it," she stood up and gave a kiss on Yuuri's cheek and ruffled his hair before she skipped back to the kitchens. "I'm making Yuuri's favorite tonight!"

Minako began to talk excitedly about how her first day was like. Yuuri began to tune them out as he stared down at his acceptance letter, still not quite believing it. He was thankful that for once, the mean voice inside his head that constantly spouted insecurities was quiet. He smiled. Maybe, this won't be so bad after all.

 **0oo0oo0**

This was bad.

"What do you mean 'Yuuri's not a student?'"

"We're sorry Mrs. Katsuki, but we never received a response after we sent Yuuri's acceptance letter. We thought you have chosen another school for Yuuri, so we never enrolled him."

Yuuri worried his bottom lip as he watched his parents talk to the woman behind the desk. He should have known that something would go wrong. He should have known it was all a mistake. How could an omega like him ever think that he could have gotten into a school like this? The moment he stepped inside he felt like he didn't belong. It began to make more sense now though... why he never received his uniforms when his parents ordered a set together with their response. Why he didn't receive any communication on what classroom he was assigned to. The Katsukis just figured that everything was going to be settled on his first day.

"That can't be right, we sent our response the very next day. How can we possibly turn down Yuuri's acceptance?" Toshiya insisted.

The blonde elderly lady hmm-ed and typed something into her computer. She read something on her screen. "I just double-checked. There's nothing in the system that says that we received anything."

"It must have gotten lost in the mail somehow. I can even send you a copy of the check we wrote for his uniforms. Please do something, our family worked so hard for this, Yuuri especially," Hiroko leaned forward with pleading eyes.

The woman nodded and stood up. "If you don't mind, I'll go and talk to the head of our Admissions Committee. It may be awhile though, Mr. Davis is just wrapping up a meeting."

"Take all the time, we're more than willing to wait."

She stepped out and left Hiroko, Toshiya, and Yuuri alone in the office. Hiroko gave a sigh and Toshiya held his wife's hand. "Really, all this for a lost letter? It's not fair."

"Don't worry dear, I'm sure it will all work out."

But things never worked out for him, did it? Yuuri cringed as the thoughts took over his head again and drowned out the sound of his father reassuring his mother. Why would things ever work out for him? And even if they did turn out right, does he seriously think that he really belongs in this school? How can he possibly be good enough to stay? Everyone must be so much smarter than him. He'll surely fail all his classes.

He wasn't sure how long he was stewing in his thoughts when the blonde woman came back in the room.

Hiroko and Toshiya straightened themselves. The woman was smiling. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

"I'm pleased to say that Mr. Davis agreed to enroll Yuuri. We didn't feel that it would be fair to Yuuri to be denied an education at our school for something that wasn't his fault."

"Oh thank goodness! Thank you so much..." Hiroko's eyes turned to the nameplate in front of the woman's desk "...Ms. Christie. Thank you."

She waved her hand. "Please, Mrs. Katsuki feel free to call me Marie. And honestly, I'm happy Mr. Davis agreed to accept Yuuri." She shifted her eyes over to the young omega, "I'm just glad I was able to deliver good news. I can't think of having to turn you away." She turned in her chair and reached down to retrieve several packets of papers from one of her desk drawers. "Now, we'll have to have you fill out all this paperwork. I'm afraid Yuuri will be missing a couple of days because it will take time to straighten everything out and arrange his schedule, but I'm sure our teachers will help make the transition as easy as possible." She turned the papers so that his parents could read them and handed them a pen.

The next hour was spent reviewing and signing the documents. All was well until Hiroko reached a document about his tuition.

"But Yuuri got a scholarship, we thought that covered all the costs."

Marie smiled, apologetic, "I'm so sorry ma'am, but I'm afraid that his scholarship only covers half the cost of his tuition."

Those words caused his parents to balk. Toshiya was incredulous, "Only half, you say?"

"Perhaps I can refer you to our financial services? I'm sure Ms. Reynolds is available."

Hiroko turned to her husband and then both looked at their son who just stared down at the floor. The two parents communicated with each other silently and Toshiya nodded, coming to a decision. "Yes, if we can speak with her that would be greatly appreciated."

"Very well, this way please."

 **0oo0oo0**

Minako was shocked when Yuuri's parents told her about Yuuri's "first day." She was very apologetic and embarrassed when she found out about the misunderstanding over his scholarship. "It would have covered the cost back in my time, I had no idea the tuition could have increased that much! I'm so, so sorry!" The words were complete with dogeza that flustered his parents as they attempted to assure her that everything would be alright.

In the end, Yuuri's parents had to take on a loan for some of the costs.

He was so scared once his real first day finally arrived. It wasn't the normal sort of nerves that he would typically have on his other first days in preschool or kindergarten. It must have been the thought that he was in such a prestigious school that scared him even more. Failure was one of the biggest things Yuuri was scared of. What if he ended up not being smart enough to stay in the school? What would he do then?

Before he knew it, the man who guided him to his homeroom knocked on the door and walked away as soon as a nice brunette beta bent down, "Hello, you must be Yuuri, welcome to Kubo International."

"T-thank you ma'am." At least she looked kind. His teacher last year was actually a very strict, domineering alpha. If this was his teacher then maybe he can get through this.

"Aren't you a charming young man? My name is Ms. Arena. I'm sorry you had to miss the first few days, but don't worry we'll get you up to speed on everything. Now come, your classmates are excited to meet you." She stood up and opened the door the rest of the way.

Yuuri gulped as he stared at all the faces looking at him. Wait, was that Phichit? He looked at the beta in the back of the room who looked just as surprised to see him. Normally the sight of his best friend would make him happy but he still found himself frozen stiff as he followed Ms. Arena. He bowed his head in an attempt to shield himself from all the stares.

Ms. Arena placed her hands gently on his shoulders to make him stand in front of her. "Everyone, please welcome Yuuri Katsuki. He will be joining us today." In a softer voice she asked, "Yuuri, would you like to introduce yourself?"

"Good morning. I'm Yuuri," he whispered softly.

"I'm sorry, Yuuri sweetie you will have to speak a little louder. Don't be nervous, we're all friendly here. Everyone wants to meet you."

He lifted his chin slightly so he wasn't mumbling down his shirt, "I'm Yuuri Katsuki."

"Good, and how old are you, Yuuri?"

"S-six."

"Why didn't he start on the first day, Ms. Arena?" The question made him wince.

"Yuuri had to take some extra special steps, Yuuko. But you see, Yuuri here is very smart. He passed the exams with grades high enough to get a scholarship into our school! And that's something to be very proud of, right Yuuri?"

It wasn't the full truth, but Yuuri appreciated how Ms. Arena kept quiet about the whole fiasco with his enrollment. He quickly nodded his head.

"As an international school, many of us were born outside of the United States or our families came from other countries. Where is your family from, Yuuri?"

"Japan."

"That's where Yuuko is from as well. Everyone please be nice to our new student. I don't want to hear anything unfriendly. Remember, treat others the way you want to be treated. Now Yuuri, you can take that seat we prepared for you by Viktor over there. Viktor, please raise your hand."

Yuuri glanced up to see an silver-haired alpha sitting in the front row. He raised his hand and Yuuri stared at the long hair the boy wore in a ponytail. The light from the window beside him caused the silver hair to glow and he was reminded of starlight. He was very pretty, and his eyes reminded him of the sea when he visited his hometown of Hasetsu the previous summer. There was something in the boy's stare that drew him in and Yuuri felt a wave of butterflies flutter in his stomach as he shuffled over to the empty desk beside the boy.

The alpha had a nice smile as he reached over for a handshake. "I'm Viktor Nikiforov," the boy said.

"H-hi, V-Viktor." He smelled really nice, like eucalyptus and citrus. It was a scent that reminded Yuuri of a light feeling, the kind when you had no worries to weigh you down and all was right in the world. He smiled to himself as he bent down to take out his notebooks and writing utensils. The entire morning's lessons passed smoothly and Yuuri noted that he wasn't anxious at all, which was really odd. What he didn't know was that it was due to the alpha's presence beside him.

 **0oo0oo0**

Yuuri would have given anything for that lightweight feeling again. But right now, as he cowered underneath a set of bleachers rocking back and forth in a fetal position, all he could feel was a crushing weight in his chest. He didn't know if he made things worse by running away from the teacher.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he whimpered. Why was he always so stupid?! Now he was just going to get into more trouble! And when they kick him out, what was he going to do? How can he possibly face his parents? Mari-neechan or Minako-sensei? All of them worked so hard to get him in here and he can't even last a full week without getting kicked out?

"Yuuri," He recognized Ms. Arena's voice. "Yuuri, everything's going to be okay. Are you hurt?"

He simply shook his head but made no move to get up.

"Everyone's worried, Yuuri, why don't you come out?"

"Am I in trouble?"

"What? No, of course not. Sweetie, I promise you're not in trouble. No one is."

Yuuri couldn't find himself to fully trust her words but did finally lift his head from his arms. He saw his teacher kneeling a couple of feet away from him.

She smiled and leaned back. "There we are. It's okay Yuuri, take your time, I'm just going to stay right here until you're ready, okay?"

Yuuri sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his arm as he sat up. That was one of his worse panic attacks but he was thankful that at least he didn't pass out. He peered over and tried to see past Ms. Arena's shoulder.

She must have sensed what he was looking for. "Don't worry, Yuuri no one else is around. Recess is over."

"I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetie."

A small flicker of hope. Maybe he really wasn't in trouble after all. Yuuri knew he couldn't stay under the bleachers forever and he felt bad making his teacher sit in the dirt. He slowly crawled over and hesitantly took Ms. Arena's offered hand as she helped him stand up.

"There we are," she tried to brush the dirt from his jacket and pants. "Are you sure you're ready to go back? We can stay out here a little more if you need more time."

"But what about classes?"

"There's a substitute teacher filling in, don't worry about that."

Yuuri thought about it for a moment but decided against it. "It's okay. I'm okay."

 **0oo0oo0**

They eventually made their way back to the classroom and Ms. Arena thanked the substitute teacher as she took her place behind her desk. The students looked curiously at Yuuri but otherwise said nothing as he took his seat next to Viktor.

The alpha looked at him with relief in his eyes. Yuuri took a deep breath and grounded himself in Viktor's calming scent. He opened his notebook but blinked when he found a small scrap of paper underneath it. In messy print, it said 'Are you okay? I'm sorry if I scared you. Are we still mates?' There was a sad face with tears in the corner of the paper.

Yuuri smiled at the message and looked over to Viktor who was looking at him apprehensively as he waited for his reaction. Yuuri placed the paper down to write his own message before he passed it over to Viktor who quickly read it.

'You don't have to say sorry. And yes.' Yuuri crossed out the sad face Viktor drew and made a new drawing beside it. This time there were two stick figures. One was slightly taller, with bangs and a ponytail next to a smaller one with glasses. The stick figures were holding hands and smiling.

Viktor beamed as he reverently folded the paper and tucked it next to the photo Phichit took of them earlier.


	3. How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Way

**Chapter 3: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.**

 _Because an impassioned Viktor is a distracting Viktor_

Viktor had almost forgotten all about the incident in the courtyard earlier that day. All he cared about was that Yuuri was doing much better and he was pleased when no hint of anxiety clouded his omega's scent for the remainder of the afternoon. When it was time to pack up and leave he held Yuuri's hand as they walked out of the classroom. Georgi, Chris, Mila, Leo, and Phichit followed behind.

Viktor fished out the picture Phichit had given him earlier that day and showed it to Yuuri. "Look how it came out, our first photo!"

"Er…" Yuuri agreed that Viktor looked great. The alpha was really photogenic. Viktor was beaming in the photo with his right arm around the omega's shoulders. Yuuri's photographed self just looked wide-eyed at the camera in shock as he stood with hunched shoulders, body tilted a little awkwardly towards Viktor's due to the alpha's tight grip. He didn't think he looked good at all, especially with his blazing red cheeks. "It looks… nice?"

"You don't like it?" Viktor pouted and he turned around to Phichit. "Phichit, Yuuri didn't like your picture!" He said petulantly.

The beta laughed, as Yuuri sputtered, trying to think of words to reassure the alpha. "It would have looked good if Yuuri would just smile. But don't worry, I can take more next week! I just need more film."

"Okay!"

Mila, Chris, and Georgi looked over Viktor's shoulder to take a peek at the photo. "I think it looks cute!" Mila said. "You're good at taking pictures, Phichit."

"Thanks, it's my hobby."

"What do you take pictures of?"

"Anything and everything."

Yuuri smiled, "Phichit likes to take pictures of his hamsters."

"Hamsters are cute, I wish I had a pet," Mila sighed. They finally reached the doors and stepped outside. "See you next week!" She and Georgi waved as they made their way over to a bus. Phichit said his goodbyes as well with another promise to have enough film for their next photo session.

Yuuri turned to Leo. "Aren't you taking the bus today, Leo?" The beta usually joined Phichit home. He shook his head, "Not today. I'm going to be hanging out with Guang Hong. I'll just wait for him here. See you guys!" Guang Hong was one year younger than them. The two had apparently known each other all their lives since their parents were close business partners.

Viktor smiled as he gently led Yuuri off to the side of the path, allowing all the other students to make their way around them. He squeezed the omega's hands as he tried to think of what to say. "Are you sure everything's okay now?"

Yuuri blinked back up at him and gave a shy smile. "I think so. I just got scared that I got in trouble, that one teacher that came to us looked angry."

Viktor recalled the man Yuuri was talking about. It was Mr. Thompson, a chemistry teacher who was well-known throughout the school as a disciplinarian. He was the one who held onto Viktor when he tried to scramble after Yuuri when the omega ran off.

"Did… did you get in trouble?"

"N-not at all!" Viktor gave a disarming smile and swung their joined hands back and forth as they walked slowly towards the street. It was half true. Mr. Thompson did take him aside and told him off for "harassing" Yuuri, whatever that meant, and causing a scene. But after that no other teacher confronted him.

"Okay…"

Speak of the devil, Mr. Thompson was there talking to Viktor's grandfather in front of their car. They were still too far away to hear the conversation but it didn't take a genius to guess what they were talking about. Yakov groaned and rubbed his temples at something the teacher said, a habit he had whenever he got exasperated at something that Viktor did. Which happened all the time.

"Yuuri!" The omega turned his head to see his sister calling out from the backseat of Minako's car. The woman herself was sitting in the driver's seat and honked the car's horn in greeting. Yuuri was surprised when he saw Minako talking to Ms. Arena who stood on the sidewalk beside Minako's open window.

Yuuri stepped away from Viktor, "I have to go now. See you!" He waved as he walked over to Minako's car. Mari opened the back door and scooted aside so he could get in.

"I will see you Minako, we should catch up some more for dinner one time," Ms. Arena said. She turned to Yuuri as he walked over. "See you next week, Yuuri, have a great weekend."

"Bye Ms. Arena," he called as he got into the car. He still wasn't sure why she was talking to Minako. He closed the door and turned his attention to the front, meeting Minako's eyes in the rear view mirror. "Do you know Ms. Arena, Minako-sensei?"

"Yes I do, I graduated just one year ahead of her. We were friends in school. I honestly didn't even know she taught here, we lost touch in college."

"How was your day, Yuuri?" Mari asked.

He put his seatbelt on, "It was fine."

"So who's this Viktor I heard about?" Minako said, peering at him again from the rear view mirror with mischief in her eyes.

Yuuri stuttered. "V-Viktor?" What did Ms. Arena say to Minako? She said he wasn't in trouble! He looked more closely at Minako who was smiling that catlike smile again. It didn't look like he was in trouble though.

"Yeah, you see Steph-that's Ms. Arena's first name by the way, was talking about this charming young alpha in your year who said something _very_ interesting during lunchtime today."

Yuuri looked down at his shoes and worried at the edge of his sleeves. He could sense Mari's stare beside him.

"Um… what did she say he said?"

"That's the thing. Unfortunately, Steph wasn't actually there when it happened. She just heard from the other teachers that there was this whole commotion in the courtyard during your recess when Viktor came to your group of friends and said something to you. It must have been quite the scene though, everyone's been going on about how cute you were!"

Yuuri blinked in relief. It looked like Ms. Arena didn't talk about the part where there were some teachers who didn't appear too happy. Or maybe she didn't hear from those teachers.

"Spill it, Yuuri," Mari was growing impatient, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Well…he said that he was my alpha and that I was his mate."

"WHAAAT?" Mari's mouth hung open in shock.

"Ohohoho, _did_ he now?"

Mari placed a hand on Yuuri's shoulder so he would turn to her. Her face looked grim, "Is he bullying you, Yuuri? Tell me the truth."

"Bullying?! No! Viktor would never do something like that!"

"Woooow, just one week at your school and you already know him so well. So quick to defend your alpha!"

"Minako-sensei you can't be encouraging this," Mari reprimanded the older woman.

"Tell me more about this Viktor, Yuuri," Minako demanded, ignoring Mari. "Was he that silver-haired boy you were holding hands with?"

"Yes, that was him."

"He seems friendly enough. He looks positively charming actually. Very handsome. He also comes from a rich family judging by that Maserati he got picked up in." Minako pulled them to a gentle stop at the red light and took the opportunity to turn around in her seat so she can see the blushing omega. "You really know how to pick them well!" She winked.

"Minako-sensei!" Both Katsuki siblings called out at the same time. Mari in consternation and Yuuri in embarrassment. Yuuri groaned and placed his head in his hands.

"And that brings me to the other thing Steph mentioned," Minako's voice became more serious as she placed her foot on the accelerator again, the light had turned green. "She said you ran away and hid under some bleachers. Is everything okay?"

"Yuuri… did you have another panic attack? Did this Viktor scare you?"

"Nooo…" Yuuri moaned through his hands. Why was Mari-neechan always assuming the worst of Viktor? "It's just that everyone in the courtyard was staring at us. Everyone, even the teachers. And some of them…didn't look so happy," he confessed. "Even though Ms. Arena told me later that I wasn't in trouble. One of the teachers looked angry and he was walking up to us. I-I panicked then."

Minako gave a noncommitting hum, mulling the information over. "But how did you feel when Viktor said that he was your alpha?"

Yuuri turned to look out the window and watched the trees pass by in a blur. He never really took the time to process his feelings, being too preoccupied earlier with worrying about getting expelled. "Um...Happy, I think? Viktor's always been nice to me. He's nice to everyone, actually. I think he's popular too. I see a lot of people say hi to him in the hallway, even older students."

He smiled and began to babble, feeling that light feeling in his chest again as he recalled Viktor, "He has this really nice heart-shaped smile...he likes to hold my hand a lot and I like it because my hands are always cold but his hands are warm but not sweaty or icky. He also has this really nice scent. I also really like his hair, I think it makes him look very pretty. He must take really good care of it because it shines all bright when the light is on it and…"

Mari and Minako's eyes met in the rear view mirror as Yuuri went on and on about the alpha.

Well now… wasn't this something?

* * *

Viktor similarly was waxing poetic about Yuuri to Yakov. "My omega's the cutest omega in the entire class. No, the entire SCHOOL! Georgi thinks he's a little chubby but I don't care, I like it actually, it just makes it more fun to hug him!" Viktor kicked his feet in the air in glee and Yakov grunted at how the child's shoes scuffed the bottom of the dashboard.

"Yuuri has this really cute laugh too, I heard it all the way across the courtyard. I wanna hear him laugh all the time. He smells soooo nice, Deda _,_ on his first day I knew I was already going to like him just from his scent. It's like the magnolias Papa used to get Mama. He also has the prettiest eyes, they're nice and brown but very rich. Like chocolate! Do you think he'd like it if I give him chocolate? I can give him some Cadbury, or do you think he likes Hershey's more?" Viktor paused in his monologue and waited for his response. When Yakov remained quiet the seven-year-old shrugged, clearly used to his grandfather's ornery behavior.

"Cadbury then. He's my mate after all so I'm sure he likes what I like too. He can be shy, but once he gets to know you he talks more, at least that's what Phichit said. Phichit is Yuuri's friend, by the way, we actually share the same classroom but I never really talked to him before since he sits way in the back. He took a picture of us after I told Yuuri that I was going to be his alpha from now on. Oh right, the picture!" Viktor gasped and reached down to retrieve it from his backpack. "Deda, LOOK! Isn't Yuuri cute?!"

Yakov yelled as a blurry photo obscured his view of the road. " _BLYAT!_ Vitya, put it DOWN!" He shoved the boy's arm away as the car swerved slightly to the right. Thankfully traffic was light and there was no car in the lane beside them. He always thought he was going to grow bald taking care of his grandson, not die in a car accident!

Viktor looked heartbroken, clutching the polaroid. "You don't like it either? I don't think Yuuri liked it and I don't know why… do you think it's my smile? Is it too wide?" He leaned up and began practicing different variations of his smile in the side-view mirror.

Yakov swore he could feel a vein protrude in his forehead. It was going to be a long ride home.

Viktor gave a forlorn sigh that was really strange to see from a seven-year-old but he recovered very quickly. "But you know what? Yuuri's a really good artist too, you should see the picture he drew of us! Wanna see it?!" The young alpha was already reaching down his bag again.

Yakov panicked and quickly reached over to grab a hold of Viktor's arm to keep it down. The man did his best to keep the steering wheel steady but his movement still caused them to jerk slightly to the side. The car next to them honked and swerved away to avoid getting hit. "Not now, Vitya!"

"Fine..." The boy crossed his arms and sulked down in his seat.

A few seconds of blissful silence passed. Yakov breathed out in relief. And then...

"Did I mention that Yuuri has the cutest smile? I can't wait until Phichit takes another photo of us!"

Yakov pulled them to a stop at an intersection. The poor man rested his forehead on the steering wheel desperately trying to tune out Viktor's voice.

Forget a long ride home. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Minako wasted no time informing Yuuri's parents about Viktor.

"Yuuuuuri-chan has an admirer~" Minako sang as they gathered around the table for an early dinner.

"Oh?" Hiroko perked up as she set their entrees down. "And who is this admirer?"

Minako was enjoying every moment and nudged Yuuri. "Come on, Yuuri, earlier in the car you couldn't stop talking about him."

"I did not!" Yuuri protested.

"Did too," Mari said, starting to fill her plate with rice and tempura. "You kept going on and on about him."

"So what is your admirer's name?" Toshiya asked beside his wife.

Yuuri's ears turned red as everyone looked at him. "Viktor."

"Is he a beta?"

"No, he's an alpha," Mari answered for Yuuri. "And get this: this Viktor kid said he was ' _Yuuri's_ alpha.' But apparently he's nice. Or so Yuuri says."

"He is!" Yuuri insisted.

Hiroko giggled, "Ah I remember my childhood crush. They're such sweet things, aren't they?"

Toshiya turned to ask Minako, "How did you find out about this? I couldn't imagine that Yuuri-chan told you himself."

"He didn't, I found out from his teacher. Steph was one year younger than me when we went to Kubo together. I had no idea she came back to teach there. What are the odds that she'd be Yuuri-chan's teacher, right? She happened to walk by my car and I told her that I was picking up Yuuri-chan. She thought at first that I was his mom," Minako snorted at the idea.

"Well I'm glad that you're making friends, sweetie," Hiroko smiled at Yuuri. "I noticed over the days that you're becoming less and less stressed. That's good. Studying is important of course but so is having fun."

Toshiya nodded, "Yes, those are the memories you'll keep coming back to."

Minako laughed at his words. "Oh don't get me started on your college days, Toshiya! I still remember you getting drunk and dancing on the table at the campus center." The adults began to laugh at the shared memories. Yuuri was glad for the change in topic as he finally began eating properly.

* * *

Viktor on the other hand had no qualms talking about Yuuri. In fact, the moment Lilia opened the front door, he rushed forward to give his grandmother a hug and said, "Baba, I must tell you about my new mate!"

Lilia's perfectly trimmed brows furrowed as she changed her glance from Viktor's beaming face to her husband's sour expression. "Oh? What is this about a new mate?" She awkwardly patted Viktor's head. Physical signs of affection never came to her naturally.

Yakov muttered something unintelligible as he shrugged off his coat, passed it over to a maid and requested some wine. "I'm going to my study," was all he said before he went to the right wing, clearly not wanting to participate in the conversation. "…Almost got into an accident. Twice! Of all things…" was all Lilia heard as he turned the corner.

She decided to humor the child. "Alright then, Vitya, who is this mate of yours?" Viktor grabbed one of her hands and practically skipped down the hall. Lilia sped up her steps to match his speed.

"His name is Yuuri, and he's the cutest omega in the _entire_ school! He's shorter than me, and he wears glasses. He's shy but very, very nice. He smells really good too! I told him that I was going to be his mate today. His friend Phichit took a picture of us, do you wanna see it?!"

Lilia's eyes widened as she took in the sight of her grandson in front of her. It was unbelievable.

* * *

Later that night when she was sitting up in their bed, Lilia placed a bookmark in her novel before setting it aside as she heard her husband's footsteps come closer. She watched as their bedroom door opened and Yakov stepped inside in his usual pajamas carrying a newspaper.

"You were in your study the entire day."

Yakov scoffed, "I _needed_ the entire day." He placed the newspaper on their bedside table and turned off the lamp before he climbed on the bed.

Lilia blinked her eyes to adjust to the darkness as she felt his weight settle next to her. "This Yuuri that Vitya keeps talking about..."

Yakov groaned and turned away from her. "Please woman have mercy and do not speak that child's name again. Vitya couldn't stop talking about that omega, just leave it be."

Had it not been beneath her, Lilia would have snorted. "Yasha, the ride from Vitya's school to our house is only 25 minutes long. I had to listen to your grandson for two hours before I was able to convince him to go play in his room." Her husband's response was lost in his pillow. She reached over to place a hand on his arm. "Yasha, please."

The man relented and lifted his head from the pillow but did not turn over to face her. It was enough to satisfy Lilia. "Can't you see how _happy_ Vitya is?" She pleaded.

"Yes. It's pretty clear."

"Whether or not this is just a passing childish infatuation I am happy that Vitya found a friend."

"Vitya's always had friends."

"Yes, but apparently this Yuuri is a special one." Lilia frowned and asked the question she's wanted to ask all day. "I thought you of all people would be relieved that Vitya's starting to be more like himself again."

Away from her view a flash of hurt passed through Yakov's eyes before he screwed them shut. "Of course I'm relieved. It's just…" his voice came out gruff and he opened his eyes once more. He stared angrily into the darkness. "It's because _he_ should have been here. Vitya shouldn't need some small omega to bring him back. _He_ should have brought Vitya back! Instead he just left, _like the COWARD he is_!"

Lilia began to feel tears at the corner of her eyes as she reached over to hug her husband from behind. She pressed her face against the back of his neck and grasped his hands. Yakov met her halfway and intertwined their fingers, holding them against his chest. The couple stayed in that position each lost in their own thoughts until they both fell asleep.

* * *

Thank you very much for all your reviews! This was originally supposed to be a 100% lighthearted chapter but I just had squeeze that wee bit of plot in. I had lots of fun though writing Yuuri and Viktor's monologues. As always, I look forward to your thoughts and comments.


	4. To Marry My Yuuri, Viktor on a Mission!

**Chapter 4: To Marry My Yuuri, Viktor on a Mission!**

 _Once Viktor gets an idea into his mind, he is nothing but persistent_

The following Monday had Viktor practically skipping to his classroom at the thought of seeing Yuuri again. The weekend was absolutely tedious without him and he decided that he will invite the omega over to his house next weekend. He would have done so already if it weren't for his grandparents forcing him to attend a stuffy dinner with neighbors on Saturday, and then a charity ball on Sunday. He really hated those events and didn't understand why he had to be there. All he did was smile and suffer from the older ladies fawning over how cute he is. Why must they always pinch his cheeks?

He waved at Georgi, Mila, and Chris before also turning his attention and greeting Leo and Phichit who sat further back. He pouted when he saw that Yuuri's desk was still empty but made his way over and sat in his own.

Chris peered curiously at the blue gift bag Viktor was carrying. "What do you have there?"

Viktor smiled back and handed it over to Chris. He put a hand inside and retrieved a bar of chocolate.

"Chocolates? Isn't it early for Halloween or Valentine's? Can I have one?" Chris whined when Viktor made a motion to give him the bag back, "Aw, come on! Why show me when I can't have one?"

"Sorry, but those are for Yuuri. But don't worry, I got a separate bag here for you guys," he said, raising the white gift bag he held in his other arm, "I'll share it during recess."

Mila must have been eavesdropping on their conversation because she butted in, "That's so nice of you, Viktor! Yuuri's going to love it."

Viktor's chest puffed up with pride at her approval. "You really think so? I wasn't sure if he'd like Hershey's or Cadbury. I ended up just bringing both."

"It's chocolate. Who wouldn't like chocolate?" Georgi asked rhetorically. The idea that anyone would refuse it was just absurd.

"I'm going to give it to him after lunch. Can we ask Yuuri and his friends to eat with us?"

"Sure. Why not? I think his friends are nice," Mila looked over Viktor's shoulder, "Good morning Yuuri!"

Viktor turned around so quickly he could have gotten whiplash. He waved his hands excitedly at the omega. "Yuuri! How was your weekend?"

Yuuri smiled sheepishly at the sudden attention as he sat down. "Hi Viktor. It was good, thanks. How are you?"

"Happy now that you're here!"

Yuuri blushed as Mila aww-ed at the candid comment.

"Will you and your friends sit with us at lunch, Yuuri?" Viktor asked, "We can eat together and then play during recess."

The omega looked surprised at the invitation. It wasn't really common for omegas their age to be hanging around alphas. "Do you think it's okay? You don't think we'll get in trouble?"

"I don't see what the big deal is," Georgi shrugged. "It's not as if we're breaking any rules."

"I'll talk to Phichit, Leo, and Guang Hong then." Yuuri said, turning around and waving at his friends at the back. Phichit smiled and gestured to his polaroid camera giving him a thumbs up. Yuuri sighed, almost forgetting about the photo session he promised the previous week. Viktor returned Phichit's thumbs up and mouthed a 'thank you' to the beta.

At that moment Ms. Arena walked into the classroom and called their attention for attendance and everyone settled down.

* * *

"What's that you got there, Yuuri?" Georgi asked curiously during lunch later that day. He was pointing to the rectangular package Yuuri placed on the table.

"It's my lunch. My mom packed me some since we had leftovers from the weekend," he said, unwrapping the koi-patterned cloth and revealing a bento box.

"It's so pretty!" Mila said as she leaned closer. "That doesn't look like any ordinary lunch box."

"It's pretty common in Japan. It's nothing special, really," Yuuri said blushing at the attention. He opened the box to reveal sushi, shrimp tempura, gyoza, and several slices of pickled radishes. Chris and Mila ooh-ed at the exotic looking dishes while Viktor leaned over beside Yuuri to smell the food.

"It smells good. Does your Mom cook?"

"Her and my dad, yeah."

As the group of friends ate, Viktor stole glances at Yuuri between bites of food. He was just so curious and eager to take in every little new thing he learned about Yuuri, like how he would wrinkle his nose a little bit before laughing at one of Chris's jokes, how he would duck his head when he began to feel shy, or how he liked to tap his chopsticks at the side of his bento box while chewing on his food. Every now and then Yuuri would return his gaze and blush a little all while giving him the shy smile he loved so much.

Once everyone more or less finished their lunch, Viktor reached down and lifted up the two bags he was carrying earlier that day.

"Finally! I thought you weren't going to pass them out after all," Chris whooped as he leaned over the table and reached a hand out. "Come on, gimme gimme."

"What is that?" Leo asked.

Beside him, Guang Hong's eyes widened as he turned his chin up, taking in the scent. "Ooh, is that…?" He trailed off as he began to smell a sweet aroma emanating from the bag.

Viktor passed the blue bag to Yuuri and the white one to Chris. Chris quickly opened it and cheered as he grabbed a handful of chocolates before passing the bag around the table.

Yuuri curiously peered down at his bag. Bright brown eyes widened in surprise before he turned back to Viktor. "Chocolates, for me?"

"Yup! I was telling Deda how much I loved the color of your eyes and how they remind me of chocolate!"

"They do? I don't see what's so special about my eyes," Yuuri said as he reached down for one and picked a Cadbury creme egg and began to unwrap it. "Thank you, Viktor."

"Anything for my mate!" Viktor smiled and hugged Yuuri, relieved that the shorter boy liked his present. The omega's eyes bugged out in surprise and he coughed as he almost choked at the sudden declaration.

"V-Viktor!"

"This is perfect!" Phichit took a picture of the moment. "Or almost perfect. Yuuri, stop getting so red!"

"It's okay, my mate is perfect in any color!" Viktor laughed when his comment just made Yuuri blush harder.

Mila gushed at the scene, "Aww look, they're so in love!" Chris simply shrugged beside her, not really impressed while Georgi was too busy trying to choose what chocolates to pick from the bag.

Leo passed a chocolate over to Guang Hong and said "Well if you guys love each other so much, why don't you two marry? My mom says that people who love each other get married so they can live happily ever after."

Viktor gasped, "I never thought of that before!" He loosened his hug so that he can look into Yuuri's eyes. The omega was still a piping bright red. "Yuuri, we should get married!" At those words Yuuri squeaked and his eyes widened even further. "Then we can live happily ever after!" Viktor hugged him again and nuzzled Yuuri's cheek.

"Um, you two can't just marry," Georgi said.

Mila frowned at him, "Why not?"

Georgi gulped as everyone around the table turned to look at him. Viktor looked absolutely crushed and betrayed. "N-not that I don't want you two to marry! But you have to court Yuuri first!" That seemed to appease his friends.

"I guess that makes sense."

"Court Yuuri? What does that mean?"

"It's that thing that grown-ups do before they get married. So that you can prove yourself to the person you're marrying," Leo replied.

The first-graders continued their conversation as they got up from the lunch table to throw away their trash and return their trays before making their way outside to the courtyard. Viktor was quiet as he held Yuuri's hand and mulled over the revelation.

The omega sensed his discontent and squeezed Viktor's hand. "It's okay, Viktor, we can get married later after you court me." _'Whatever courting means,'_ Yuuri added to himself silently making a mental note to ask his older sister later when he got home.

Viktor smiled at Yuuri's reassuring words and squeezed his smaller hand back. "Yes, after I court you! I'll be the best alpha ever!" Little did Yuuri know that Viktor was just as clueless on what courting entailed. Was it like an exam that he had to take? It didn't matter. Whatever it was, he was definitely going to do it, and do it well so that Yuuri will have no doubt that he should marry him!

But first… he had to do some research. He cannot do it with Yuuri knowing however. Viktor was embarrassed and he didn't want the omega to find out that he didn't actually know how to court someone. How bad would that look? And so while Yuuri was preoccupied during recess climbing on the slide with Guang Hong, Viktor took the opportunity to walk up to Georgi who was attempting the monkey bars.

"Hey Georgi, you know a lot about courting right?" He was the one who brought up the topic after all.

Georgi looked down at Viktor as he stopped in the middle of the monkey bars, shoes dangling two feet above the ground. "Um, I guess?"

"How do I court Yuuri?"

The raven-haired alpha paused in thought. When he began to feel his hands starting to slip he gave up on completing the set and allowed himself to fall on the ground beside Viktor. "My mama said that papa would give her flowers."

That seemed simple enough. "Is that it?"

"No, he did other stuff too. He used to give gifts, like jewelry." Georgi turned to look at Yuuri, "I don't think that Yuuri is really into jewelry though."

Viktor hummed in agreement. "That's okay, I can think of another gift. Thanks Georgi, you're the best!" He patted his friend's back and returned to Yuuri's side.

At the end of the school day, Viktor walked with Yuuri hand-in-hand once again as they walked down the steps. The alpha smiled when he saw Yuuri carrying the blue bag of chocolates he had given him earlier that day. "Did you like them?"

"Of course!" Yuuri nodded adorably, "Thank you again."

"Which do you like better, Hershey's or Cadbury?"

"I like them both, but if I had to pick… Cadbury."

"Ha, I knew it!" Viktor fist-pumped. He could see his grandfather parked in his usual spot. "Say Yuuri, I was wondering... would you like to come over and play at my house this weekend? I wanted to ask you to come this past weekend but my grandparents dragged me out to boring grown-up stuff."

"I'm sorry, Viktor but I can't. I have a ballet recital on Sunday and I'm practicing for it on Saturday."

"Oh." The alpha visibly drooped.

"B-but you can come to my recital!" Yuuri quickly said to placate the alpha, upset at seeing Viktor look so down. "I-if you want to that is."

"Really? I can come?!"

Actually the mere thought caused Yuuri's heart to race in apprehension. He honestly didn't like the idea that there would be more eyes to see his performance, to see any potential failure should he misstep or freeze onstage. But before more dark thoughts entered his head he gazed back at Viktor's excited eyes and grounded himself in how happy the alpha looked at being invited. No, he can do this. "Yes, really."

"Okay, then I'm going to have front row seats! I'll come there early. Let me know where it will be tomorrow, okay? I'll get my grandparents to bring me there." He gave Yuuri one last hug before they parted, Viktor walking over to Yakov and Yuuri over to Minako and Mari.

"Deda, I need you to take me somewhere this Sunday," Viktor said once he got into the car and put on his seatbelt.

"Where would you possibly have to go on a weekend? Is it a school function?" Yakov pulled out of his spot and made a turn over to a main street.

"Nope, it's Yuuri's ballet recital and I can't miss it!"

Yakov sighed. "Fine, but we'll have to bring your grandmother too. She'd want to watch." Lilia was a former prima ballerina of the famous Bolshoi Ballet back when they were still in Russia. She had long since retired, but had still kept active by being one of the top ballet masters. He felt guilty that they uprooted their lives to move to the United States, although he knew that it wasn't his fault given the circumstances.

"Great, that's perfect! And there was another thing I wanted to ask you about Deda."

The older man internally groaned and wondered what his grandson's next request could possibly be. Best to get it over with. "What is it?"

"How do I court Yuuri?"

"… WHAT?!" Yakov quickly glanced down at Viktor who had a notebook and pen out. It looked like the boy was writing some sort of list. "What kind of nonsense are you going on about, boy?"

Viktor sighed and tried to explain patiently as if Yakov was the child and he was the adult, "You know, 'court.' I'm going to marry Yuuri but Georgi and my friends said that I can't until I court him and prove that I am a good alpha."

"I…" He was at a loss for words. There were so many things wrong with that statement, where does he even _start_? He internally cursed as he looked at the street sign they just passed. It was going to be at least another twenty minutes before they got home. He never knew how to handle these situations and preferred to leave them to his wife.

"Come on, Deda, you must have courted Baba too right?"

Yakov sighed and knew he had no choice. He was going to have to say something. "You can't just court Yuuri, Vitya."

"Why not? Then how are we going to live happily ever after?"

"... Look Vitya, you're too young. Courting is only something grown-ups do." He took advantage of the red light to look at his grandson who was frowning down at the notebook he held in his lap. "Do you understand?"

"But I want to marry Yuuri and I can't marry Yuuri if I don't court him." Viktor began to tap his pen against his notebook impatiently.

"Marrying is also only something grown-ups do."

"That's not fair, I'm seven already, why do I have to wait if I know I want to marry him now?"

"Because…" Yakov was struggling to find the right words. He waved his left hand in an agitated motion, frustrated at finding himself in this situation. "You're just too young. Look, I understand that this Yuuri is a close friend-"

"He's not just a close friend, Deda, he's my mate," Viktor was starting to get frustrated and upset at the turn the conversation was taking.

That word again. Yakov sighed and rubbed his temples as the car behind them honked its horn. The light had turned green. He turned his eyes back on the road and got the car rolling again.

"I already told him that I was his alpha and he said yes. He also said yes to marrying me."

"Vitya, you're too young to really know if you want to spend the rest of your life with someone."

"Why? I know that Yuuri makes me happy and I want to be with him all the time. How is that different from you and Baba or Mama and Papa?"

"Things change when you get older, Vitya. You will change, Yuuri will change. In a couple of years you will look back on this and realize that this was just a passing phase. I'm not saying that you two won't stay friends but you just cannot know if you want to spend the rest of your life with someone until you know them for much longer. And when you're much older."

"Well, I still think you're wrong. If you're not going to tell me how to court Yuuri, I'll just ask Baba." Viktor closed his notebook and proceeded to look out the window at the passing houses uncharacteristically quiet in his own silent version of a tantrum.

Yakov grumbled under his breath. And this was exactly why he preferred to leave all the talking to Lilia.

* * *

Yuuri placed his shoes and backpack down once he got inside their front door. Minako walked on ahead to the dining area, eager to take advantage of the large TV there to watch the latest soccer game with his dad. Mari was beside him taking off her fall coat and hanging it on a coatrack.

"Give me yours, Yuuri." The omega shrugged his coat off and handed it to his sister who stood on her tiptoes to drape it on top of her coat.

Yuuri's eyes darted around to make sure no one else was nearby. He didn't know why but he felt self-conscious and wanted to ask his sister alone. "Nee-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"What does 'courting' mean?" His eyes flitted away to look down at his feet when Mari turned around to fix him with a piercing stare.

"And why exactly do you wanna know about that?"

"Well…"

"Yuuuuriii…" Ah there was that tone again, the tone that his sister took whenever she knew that he was hiding something from her.

"There were some kids talking about it in school and I just wondered-"

"It's Viktor, isn't it?"

Yuuri fiddled with his hands, "I didn't say that it was him."

Mari sighed and put her hands on her hips, making her look much older than the 13-year-old she really was. "But it is him. I'm right, aren't I? Don't lie to me, Yuuri, you know I can tell if you lie."

Yuuri gave up his pretense. "Yes, it's Viktor. He wanted us to get married but then our friend Georgi said that he can't marry me until he courts me first. Viktor got so sad then but I told him that I can marry him after he courts me. So what does courting mean?"

Mari's stern expression quickly turned into one of bewilderment at Yuuri's words. Okay, calm down, this was no big deal. Little kids, omegas especially, liked to play house all the time, right? This is just another one of those make-believe games. Although Mari can't really say for sure since she usually roughhoused with the rest of the rowdier betas and alphas when she was Yuuri's age, being a bit of a tomboy. She decided a little bit of information can't hurt.

"Courting is something grown-ups do to show that they love each other. In your case, Viktor is the one who will court you and try to show that he can be a good alpha."

"How?"

"Well…" she recalled some of the older students back in her school. "He may give you gifts, for one."

This got Yuuri excited. "Really? Even if it's not Christmas or my birthday?" Courting must be so much fun! "Should I get him something too?"

"Usually it's just the alpha or the beta who does it."

"Okay! But maybe I can still think of something to give him. Wow, I can't wait to see what Viktor gets me." Yuuri gave Mari a hug, "Thanks, Nee-chan! I'm going to do some homework now." He bent down to pick up his backpack and went upstairs to his room, all bubbly and cheer.

Mari just shook her head, amused. She's never seen Yuuri so happy to do homework before. _'I must really meet this Viktor one time.'_ Her curiosity was piqued last Friday when Yuuri first mentioned Viktor but now she really wanted to see just what kind of boy this Viktor was to make her brother so happy. She walked over to the dining area to join Minako and her father, already hearing the cheers from them and the other avid soccer fans staying at their inn.

* * *

Lilia just barely opened the front door before Viktor gave her his customary hug and said, "Baba, please tell me how to court Yuuri." She saw Yakov standing behind their grandson who returned her questioning look with a sullen expression.

"Don't look at me, he's all yours. I already tried," he mumbled as he walked off.

The corner of Lilia's lips quirked up in a wry smile. She could already tell how that conversation must have went. "What did your deda say?"

Viktor gave a huff and stomped ahead of her as he made his way over to the parlor where he knew Baba liked to drink her tea and talk to guests. "Deda wasn't helpful. He didn't say anything, just that I can't marry Yuuri yet cuz only grown-ups can marry." He turned around to face Lilia when she sat down on her favorite plush chair. "But I already know that I want to marry Yuuri so I'm going to court him now." He crossed his arms and stared at his grandmother with a stern expression daring her to defy him.

Lilia couldn't suppress the soft laugh that escaped her at the hilarious image of her young grandson trying to look intimidating but only managing to look as threatening as a newborn puppy. "Vitya, come here." She opened her arms and the young alpha quickly complied, giving her a hug. It was rare for his grandmother to initiate hugs like she did just now. "You know, right now you reminded me of your mother."

Viktor turned his face up, "Really? Was she angry all the time?"

"No, the opposite really." Lilia gave him a rare smile and her eyes glazed over while recalling the memories. "You're very much like her, same silver hair and same smile. She was always happy and cheerful just like you."

"But then why would I remind you of her just now?"

"It's because she was happy all the time, that it's also easy to remember the few times that she wasn't." But back to the topic at hand. "So you want to know how to court someone? It's true though what your Deda said. Courting and marrying is something only grown-ups do."

"But Baba~" Viktor began to whine but didn't break away from her embrace. "Why do I have to wait until I grow up if I know that I want to live happily ever after with him _now_?"

Lilia let out a breath and took a moment to organize her thoughts. It was so difficult to argue with a child's simple logic. To them things were black and white. They lived in the present and still didn't appreciate the true concept of the future, as much as little kids always say that they want to grow up. She decided to approach the subject through a different tactic.

"Did you know that your mother didn't like your father when they first met?"

"What? But Mama loved Papa!" Viktor was incredulous at the thought that his parents could have ever been anything but in love with each other.

"I promise you, I'm telling the truth. He came off as very arrogant at first, as if he was better than any alpha."

Viktor nodded his head deep in thought. He remembered Mama telling him to never be arrogant. Was she referring to Papa all the while? "Then how come they got married?"

"Because your Papa changed into a better person. He became nicer. It was difficult at first, but in the end your Mama fell in love with him."

"But Baba what does this have to do with me and Yuuri?"

"What I'm trying to say, Vitya, is that over time people can change. You may think that Yuuri is the right person for you now but as you two get older, things can change and you may not end up together." She leaned back to carefully observe Viktor's expression.

The young alpha was silent, taking the time to absorb her words. "I think… I understand."

Lilia nodded and made a move to stand up. "Well then, your tutor should be arriving in a couple of minutes-"

"But I still think that you and Deda are wrong."

Lilia paused in surprise and watched as Viktor stepped back and pointed a finger to his heart. "I feel something here, Baba. I know that me and Yuuri will be together. We might change, but I know that we'll still be together." Viktor gave a small smile. "I'll go to the library. But later tell me how to court Yuuri, okay?" He didn't wait for her response before going out of the parlor to retrieve his backpack.

Later that evening Lilia went into her husband's study after tucking Viktor in bed. She opened the door to find Yakov reading a book and nursing a glass of brandy. "Yasha?"

"Hm?" He turned his eyes up and set the book aside. "So how did it go?"

Lilia sat down at the chair opposite his desk. "Better than your conversation with him, I suspect. But he's persistent and stubborn."

"Hn, just like his father then. Damn bastard, passing all his bad traits over to his son."

"Yasha."

"Fine, fine I'll stop. So what did you end up telling him?" Yakov took another shot of brandy.

"Well in the end I did give him some courting advice."

Yakov almost choked on his drink and coughed. "What?! You're actually encouraging this?"

"I don't like to think of it as 'encouraging' but I'd rather have the boy learn from us than get information from other… less reputable sources. You know that Vitya will just go ask others if we don't tell him anything."

His wife had a point. "Alright, then what did you tell him?"

"After Yuuri's ballet recital, he'll be giving him a bouquet. I promised to take him to the florist tomorrow after his lessons so he can choose what flowers he wants and place an order."

Yakov leaned his head back and stared at a random point in the ceiling. "We're actually doing this. Letting our grandson court some omega from his class before he even starts puberty."

"If this is just a phase, it will pass Yasha. After all, children like to mimic adults. Let Vitya play this out. It makes him happy and it's not harming anyone. This weekend we'll be meeting this Yuuri and his family and we can see for ourselves if everything is alright."

Yakov had to admit that he was curious to see what the omega was like. "Come, let's go to bed." He stood up and took his wife's hand and they made their way upstairs.

* * *

Before the students knew it another week drew to a close and Sunday came around. Yuuri was sitting in one of the front row seats after finishing the final rehearsal with his age group. On the stage the students from the youth level classes began their warm-ups to practice.

Idleness was never his friend in this situation and he was a basket of nerves as the time of his recital came closer. Not even the thought of seeing Viktor and receiving his first courting gift could calm him down. Throughout the past week Viktor kept babbling about how excited he was to give Yuuri his first gift and watch his performance.

Yuuri let out a deep breath as he began to fidget. Oh he was _really_ beginning to regret inviting Viktor over.

"Yuuri, calm down." Phichit walked over when he sensed that his best friend was working himself into a panic. He and Phichit were in Minako's pre-ballet class. It was how they knew each other for the past two years before they realized that Phichit was also a student at Kubo International on Yuuri's first day. The beta gave him a hug. "Everything will be fine."

"But what if he sees me mess up? What if I don't do well and he realizes that he doesn't want to marry me anymore?" Yuuri whimpered and clapped his hands against his cheeks. "And he told me that his grandparents wanna meet me too. What if they don't like me? And his grandma!" Yuuri gasped and grabbed Phichit's shoulders. "Phichit, he told me that his grandma used to be one of the top ballerinas in Russia! She's going to think I'm so bad!"

"Woah, woah, woah Yuuri calm down!"

"Oh I never should have invited Viktor. This was a bad idea!"

"Yuuri, come on you're going to be great. And even if you make a mistake-which you won't-Viktor will never go back on marrying you. Remember how excited he was to court you?"

"Yuuri, Phichit, come. Let's go out in the back and do some stretches," Minako called from the side. She saw the telltale signs of Yuuri's nerves and knew that the omega needed the distraction. As she expected, Yuuri nodded and stood up, eager to have something to do.

Thirty minutes later Mari arrived together with her mother. She held a camcorder while her mom carried her own camera as they each took seats a couple of rows from the front. Around them, several families were already starting to filter in.

"It's a shame your father couldn't come," Hiroko sighed as they settled down. Toshiya had to leave unexpectedly when their shipment of fresh linens called to say that their truck broke down. It normally wouldn't have been considered anything urgent but they were longtime friends of the family who owned the laundry service they contracted with and Toshiya decided to drive out to help them fix the truck.

"It's okay, Kaa-san, I'll be sure to record everything for him." She looked down to power up the camcorder and double-checked that the battery level was good before she heard a loud voice from the back of the auditorium.

"Ah, I'm so excited! Quick, I want front row seats!"

Hiroko and Mari turned around to see a young boy run down the middle aisle, his silver hair trailing behind him free from its usual ponytail, carrying a large bouquet in his arms. It was an odd sight considering that the bouquet was half his height and must have been obscuring quite a bit of his vision as he made his way to the front.

"Vitya, slow down," an older woman wearing a fashionable gray frock coat followed the boy, walking arm in arm with a man wearing a trench coat and felt hat. The couple carried themselves with a dignified air and looked nothing like the hyper child who had placed the bouquet on a seat and proceeded to stand right next to the stage on his tiptoes, trying to look around the group of students for someone. His guardians both had rather austere looking expressions but didn't look unkind.

"But I'm looking for Yuuri, Baba."

"He must be backstage, Vitya, have some patience." The man sat down next to the seat with the bouquet while the woman paused at the side of the aisle, examining the ballet students that were going through the motions of their performance.

Hiroko bent down to Mari and whispered, "Is that…?"

"Yeah, that's Viktor. And I guess those are his grandparents?"

"In that case we may as well introduce ourselves then," Hiroko said cheerfully. She stood up and called out to Viktor. "Excuse me, did you say that you were looking for Yuuri?"

Viktor and his grandparents turned around. The young boy smiled and passed his grandmother to jog up to Hiroko and Mari's row. "Yeah! Do you know where he is?"

Lilia walked up behind Viktor and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Vitya, mind your manners."

"Oops, sorry." The young boy blushed slightly and smiled bashfully before holding a hand up to Hiroko. The woman laughed as she shook the boy's small hand. "I'm Viktor Nikiforov and I'm Yuuri's mate." This time his words caused Lilia to blush. Mari could see the man from earlier facepalm at Viktor's words in the corner of her eyes.

"O-oh, is that so?" Hiroko was caught off-guard by the comment. She turned her eyes to the woman who looked apologetic and flustered. Hiroko took pity on her and decided not to make a big deal out of Viktor's words. "I'm Yuuri's mother, Hiroko Katsuki," she extended her hand to the woman who smiled and shook her hand.

"Lilia Feltsman. I'm Viktor's grandmother." She gestured to her husband who stood up and made his way over, "and this here is my husband, Yakov." He nodded his head in greeting.

Hiroko patted her daughter's head and smoothed her hair, her hand coming to a rest on Mari's shoulder. "This is Mari, my eldest."

The young teen straightened her posture and looked up at Lilia and Yakov. "Nice to meet you." She tilted her head down to look at Viktor, "Yuuri's told me a lot about you."

That got Viktor excited again. "Really? Do you know where he is?"

Lilia sighed and sent another apologetic look to Hiroko. "I'm so sorry for my grandson. He's just very excited to see Yuuri and give him his bouquet, which I had already told him," and with this she stressed her words and gave a squeeze to Viktor's shoulder in reprimand, "has to wait until _after_ Yuuri's performance."

With those words, the lights dimmed and Minako took to the stage with a microphone in hand together with a younger blonde woman, and called for everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, in a couple of minutes our recital will begin. I'm Minako Okukawa and I teach the pre-ballet and co-teach the boy's classes with Celestino Cialdini here in the Willowbrook Dance Academy."

Minako passed the microphone to the other woman, "And I'm Sarah Feldman and I teach the youth division. We'd like to thank everyone who took the time to come to tonight's performances. We'll begin with ballet followed by our tap, jazz, and modern classes. The students from our summer classes will proudly display the culmination of all the hard work they've put in all summer. I'm happy to say that many of them have decided to stay on for the remainder of the year and I'm sure all of us look forward to their continued growth in the performing arts."

The audience clapped as Yakov and Lilia waved their goodbyes to the Katsukis and steered Viktor back to their seats in the front row.

"Well, they seem like a charming family," Hiroko whispered to her daughter as the two sat down.

"But where are his parents?" Mari wondered aloud. They didn't get to continue the conversation however as music began to play and the curtains opened to reveal a line of cute young girls wearing pale pink leotards and white stockings. As the soft piano notes filtered through the speakers, the girls raised their arms in fifth position and walked across the stage.

Lilia sighed as she watched the young girls twirl clumsily. It was so cute to watch when children were just beginning to learn the basic steps. Nostalgia began to take over as she recalled fond memories of teaching younger classes back when she was still a ballerina and she reached over to hold Yakov's hand.

"I missed this," she whispered over to her husband. He squeezed her hand in response.

Light flute tones rose in the instrumental music and a smaller group of young boys walked into view and formed a line behind the girls. In the middle was Yuuri wearing a tight white shirt and dark blue leggings. Beside him was Phichit.

"Baba, that's Yuuri," Viktor grabbed her arm and pointed to the young omega with his other hand. "And there next to him, that's Phichit."

"Shh…" Lilia took a look at Yuuri who appeared deep in concentration as he executed a simple first arabesque in parallel with the other boys. She was impressed. Out of the boys, he actually had very good form and was graceful given his age. The Phichit boy was also pretty good.

"Isn't he great, Baba?" Viktor whispered a bit more softly. "I wonder why he's not wearing his glasses."

Lilia suspected that Yuuri could simply jump up and down the stage and Viktor would still be impressed enough. As the music drew to a close Minako went on stage and gestured to the dancers who lined up and bowed, her students following suit as the audience clapped.

Viktor stood up and clapped the loudest. "Yuuri! You were great!" He jumped up and down and waved his hands trying to get Yuuri to see him. The young omega appeared to be looking for the source of his voice as he squinted across the bright stage lights. Viktor got impatient and decided to stand up on his chair ignoring his grandparents' scolding.

Minako must have seen him though as she stepped over and whispered something in Yuuri's ear while pointing to Viktor. Yuuri squinted in his direction and Viktor could tell the moment their eyes met because of the telltale blush that spread across his face.

"Vitya, get down this _instant_!" Yakov hissed. On Viktor's other side, Lilia held on to the boy's hand to make sure that he didn't fall off the seat.

Viktor nodded and jumped down from his chair and reached over to grab the bouquet that he handpicked for Yuuri earlier that week. "Okay, I'm going to give it to him now!"

"Wait!" Yakov attempted to reach over and grab a hold of his grandson but the young alpha was too fast, already weaving his way around the other families who were sitting in the front row.

A couple of rows behind, Mari watched the young alpha curiously as she held on to the camcorder. "Wait a second, is he seriously…?" She looked skeptical as Viktor hopped up the steps located at the edge of the auditorium that led to the stage. "Oh god he seriously _is_."

Her mother must have seen as well because she whispered an "oh my," as her wide eyes followed Viktor running in front of the dancers across the stage, clutching the bouquet in both hands. Yakov was muttering several Russian curses under his breath while Lilia held both hands to her cheeks to cover her embarrassed flush as her eyes followed Viktor's movements. All around them several members of the audience began to laugh at the spectacle while others continued to clap and cheer the young students.

Yuuri watched incredulously as Viktor made his way over to him. "Yuuri, here! My first courting gift to you!" Viktor exclaimed as he presented Yuuri with a bouquet of magnolias, freesias, and primroses interspersed with sprigs of baby's breath gathered in lilac tissue paper and clear cellophane. The package was neatly tied together with a bright yellow bow. Yuuri blushed violently as he accepted the flowers, gasping because they were much heavier than he anticipated. Viktor stepped closer and helped support the flowers with one hand, the other wrapping him in a one-armed hug.

"You were great, Yuuri!" Viktor said over the sound of the audience. "Do you like my gift?"

Yuuri shifted the bouquet in his arms so he could see the alpha more clearly. "I love it, Viktor, thank you. And thanks for coming." He smiled up at Viktor who beamed back widely in response.

Back in the audience Hiroko snapped one picture after another furiously as Mari stood on her tiptoes and zoomed in her camcorder to focus on Yuuri and Viktor.

"Your father has to see this," Hiroko gushed. "This Viktor is just so adorable!"

Mari laughed as she gazed at the image of her younger brother and the alpha in her camcorder's display. "You can't even see Yuuri, Kaa-san! The bouquet's completely blocking his entire face!"

It took a moment for the audience to settle down, but eventually a laughing Minako escorted Yuuri and Viktor back down the stage to reunite them with their respective families. As the rest of the recitals progressed, it was easy to tell who really stole the show that night. Everyone's families went back home that evening talking about the adorable scene of an overeager silver-haired boy stealing the show by bounding up the stage and presenting one of the young ballet dancers with flowers.


	5. Meeting of the Two Families

**Chapter 5: Meeting of the Two Families**

 _Viktor has an important list to make. Meanwhile, the Katsukis and Feltsmans come to an understanding._

When Minako led them down from the stage, she passed by Viktor's row first and passed his hand over to Lilia. Viktor frowned and made to follow Yuuri back to his seat, but his grandmother held firm. "You can see him after all the performances are done, Vitya."

The young alpha pouted but acquiesced, smart enough not to push his luck too far. He crossed his arms and half-heartedly watched the remainder of the performances, not really interested anymore since Yuuri was no longer in them.

Meanwhile Yuuri took a seat between his mother and Mari, cradling the bouquet carefully in his arms. "Those are really pretty flowers, Yuuri-chan," his mother whispered. "We'll have to find a vase when we get home."

Yuuri nodded and stared down at the flowers, no longer paying attention to anything onstage. He breathed in deeply and savored the mixed scent of the magnolias and freesias and gently traced the edge of one of the bright yellow primroses.

Once the evening's program ended, the two families met in the hallway behind the auditorium. Viktor skipped ahead of his grandparents and reached out to hold on to Yuuri's hand. He began to recount the story of how he picked the flowers earlier that week and how hard it was for him to keep it a secret. Mari curiously watched the two interact behind her younger brother. Minako stood beside Hiroko, now having changed back from her ballet outfit to her brown trench coat, blue cardigan, and jeans and waited for Lilia and Yakov to walk over.

Lilia's eyes softened upon seeing Viktor talking to Yuuri, the two in their own little world. "I'd like to thank you for inviting us over to Yuuri's performance. I'm very sorry for my grandson causing that scene earlier tonight."

"Not at all, I thought it was adorable. They've become so close, I'm glad that Yuuri's found another good friend in his new school." Hiroko gave a kind smile as she silently observed Yuuri nodding to something Viktor was saying.

Minako took the momentary lapse in conversation to clear her throat to address Lilia, "I have to say, Ms. Baronovskaya that we're very honored to have you here tonight. I've always admired your work."

"It was my pleasure, Ms. Okukawa. You're a great performer yourself. I was one of the judges during your Prix Benois de la Danse. And please, just Lilia is fine. It's been so long since I've heard myself being called by my maiden name."

A light pink blush dusted Minako's cheeks as her eyes widened, "You remember me?"

"I knew you looked familiar when you went on stage, and the moment you introduced yourself I remembered."

Minako positively brightened under the recognition and simply nodded in response, her smile wide.

"Would you and your grandson like to join us for dinner one of these nights? If tomorrow wasn't a school day we can have you over tonight, but it may be best to postpone it to another day so that these two won't be sleeping past their bedtime."

Lilia turned around with a questioning glance at Yakov. He shrugged and nodded.

"Baba, Deda, can we go? Pleeeaase? I wanna see Yuuri's house!" Viktor must have been listening in as he quickly stepped over and clutched the edge of his grandmother's sleeve.

"Well, we wouldn't want to impose…"

"Please, the pleasure would be ours. We'd be happy to have you over."

"Baba~" Viktor began to whine and rock on his feet back and forth, still holding on to her arm.

Lilia sighed with fond exasperation at Viktor and took a hold of his hands. "In that case I don't see why not. What day would work best?"

"Would this Friday evening be good? At least they won't have school the next day."

"That should be fine," Yakov said. "We can easily rearrange Viktor's lessons with his tutor."

"And of course, Viktor's parents are invited as well. We'd love to meet them."

There was a momentary pause and then, "Ah, I'm afraid it will just be me and Yakov accompanying Viktor," Lilia said as she felt Viktor and Yakov tense by her side.

Hiroko and Minako sensed that something was off but were thankfully saved by Yuuri. "I can't wait!" The omega piped up as he went over to give Viktor a hug, the first time that he initiated one himself. "We're going to have so much fun, Viktor!" The tension left the taller boy as he smiled back and nodded, eager again to think of the new playdate.

"Our family runs the Lakeside Inn over by Crystal Lake," Hiroko said. "Just past Overpeck County Park."

"We're familiar with that area. What time would you like us to come over?"

"Perhaps around six. We don't anticipate having guests over next weekend so we should have plenty of room in our dining area."

"We'll see you then. Thank you again. Say goodnight, Vitya," Lilia said as she tugged on Viktor's hand to emphasize their need to leave.

"G'night, Yuuri! G'night Mrs. Katsuki, Yuuri's ballet teacher, and Mari! See you tomorrow, Yuuri!" Viktor said as he walked away towards the guest parking lot with his grandparents. The Katsukis and Minako waved their goodbyes and walked in the opposite direction to follow Minako's lead to the employee's parking lot where she had parked her Camry.

"Wow," Minako breathed. "I never knew that Lilia Baranovskaya married. And to think that she's Viktor's grandmother! I've got to say though, Viktor must take after the other side of the family because I don't see any resemblance at all."

"I am curious why his parents cannot come, it's a shame."

Mari allowed the adults to talk while she watched her brother hold on to the bouquet, touching some of the petals lightly. "You did great up there, Yuuri."

"Thanks," Yuuri smiled. "I wanted to be my best since I knew Viktor was there."

"He seems nice enough."

"I told you," Yuuri smiled in triumph at his sister's admission as his eyes spotted a small white card nestled among the flowers. He reached in a hand to pick it up and quickly recognized Viktor's messy print.

 _Dear Yuuri,_

 _Hope you like my first courting gift! I've got more!_

 _Love,  
Viktor _

Yuuri's face almost split at the size of his grin. He placed the card back and swung his feet back and forth. He would have hugged the flowers if he wasn't so afraid to crush them. Courting was so much fun, he can't wait to see what other gifts Viktor had in store.

* * *

Hiroko got up from her place on the couch later that night when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. She opened the front door to find her husband make his way over the walkway, looking a little tired. There were some grease stains on his navy sweatshirt and a smudge on his left cheek but he otherwise appeared well.

"Is Yuuri still up? I'm sorry I missed him." He took off his shoes and laid them on the shoe rack by the door and stretched his arms.

His wife smiled and reached over to wipe the smudge on his cheek with a tissue. "I just tucked him and Mari in. He's probably still awake but I think it's best to let him sleep. He has school tomorrow. How's the Lee's truck?"

Toshiya stretched and yawned, "We actually got it up and running pretty quickly, but by that time I knew that the recital was almost over so I stayed behind to help them distribute to other clients. Our sheets are in the trunk of the car, I'll get them tomorrow. So how was Yuuri's performance?"

"He was great! You can see for yourself; Mari recorded the entire thing and I took many pictures. We also met Viktor and his grandparents. That child is so sweet, he even gave Yuuri flowers."

"Is that so?"

Hiroko nodded. "Come, I can show you the video. But first, you should eat. His grandparents are lovely, if not a little strict, but it's clear that they dote on Viktor."

"So Yuuri's made a good friend?"

"I think so. I invited them over for dinner this Friday. I figured that would be good since it won't matter if the children sleep a little later and we don't have any bookings over the weekend."

"That's a great idea. I'd like to see this Viktor kid myself. It's good that Yuuri's making more friends. I've never really seen him excited to go to school before." He sat down at the table and Hiroko walked over with a reheated bowl of udon.

"Did you know that Viktor introduced himself to me as Yuuri's mate?" Hiroko chortled.

"Really now?"

"It's very sweet though, this childhood crush that they have." Hiroko poured herself a glass of tea as she watched her husband eat. "But I must admit, I don't think mine was this serious. We never actually called each other mates, although we would play house."

"I don't recall myself doing anything like that either. Children tend to pick up on things; this Viktor may be imitating his parents or something to that effect. Are you worried?"

"Not really. I mean, I've watched them interact myself and everything is innocent. I can tell his grandparents were embarrassed and they seem to be the type to keep Viktor in check, not that I think he would do anything inappropriate. It's hard to think of them doing anything bad with the two being so young."

"I think you're right, and we can talk to his grandparents when they come over next week. But how about this parents?"

Hiroko's brows furrowed. "That's the thing. His parents seem estranged from them. I did extend the invitation to Viktor's parents but it made the atmosphere awkward. They simply told me that his parents wouldn't be able to come."

"That's curious. Maybe we'll learn more this Friday." The evening progressed peacefully for the couple. Meanwhile, upstairs, Yuuri slept soundly in his bed, curled on his side and facing the flowers that his mother placed in a porcelain vase by his bedside table.

* * *

"So your Papa made a painting of your Mama as one of his courting gifts?" Viktor asked Leo during recess that Tuesday. The two were sitting on the dolphin statues located near the slides.

Leo nodded and looked across the playground watching Guang Hong show Yuuri and Phichit something he picked up off the ground. "Yep. He's an artist, so he created a painting of my mom. She hung it in our living room."

Viktor frowned as he wrote down the idea in his notebook. Leo curiously craned his neck to look over his shoulder.

"Wow, you're really serious about this courting thing aren't you?" He read Viktor's list which so far only had a few items

 _Court Yuuri. Gift Ideas._

· _Georgi:_ _Flowers_ _\- done! :)_

· _Georgi:_ _Jewelry_ _, but not jewelry - still have to think of something else!_

· _Guang Hong: Plushie_

· _Leo: Make Yuuri a painting_

"Of course, I am! I have to prove that I'm the best alpha for Yuuri so we can live happily ever after!"

"Let me know if you need any help, maybe I can lend you some of my dad's art supplies."

"That's okay, I can just ask Baba to buy me some. Thanks, Leo!" Viktor clicked his pen closed and stood up, looking next for Mila. Little by little he's been asking his friends for courting ideas while Yuuri's been preoccupied. And so far, his list was still too short. He looked around the playground and saw Mila standing next to a beta from their class. Turning around, he saw that Yuuri was now looking at some polaroids that Phichit took earlier that week. Satisfied that he wouldn't be missed, Viktor walked over to Mila, notebook in hand.

"Hey Mila," he waved in greeting and gave a small smile to the beta.

"Hey Viktor, you know Yuuko right?" Mila gestured to the shorter girl beside her. The beta smiled back. "What's up?"

"I was hoping you can give me some courting ideas."

"Oooh, you're courting Yuuri?" Yuuko asked, pigtails bouncing as she hopped on the balls of her feet. "I think it's great! You two are really cute together." She gave Viktor a wink.

He blushed under her praise. "Thanks, do you have any ideas too? I only have a few and I gotta do a good job so that Yuuri can marry me."

Yuuko gushed, "Aww that's so sweet! Let me think, let me think…" she placed a finger on her lips.

While she was brainstorming, Mila suggested "How about you cook him something?"

Viktor blinked. "Um… I don't really know how to cook though…"

"Well my Mama said that the best way to someone's heart is through cooking. She loves to cook, so she would always make Mom's favorite dishes. I'm sure you can always ask your Baba or Deda to help you."

"Actually we have a chef cook for us. Baba and Deda don't cook much."

"Then that's even better! You have someone who cooks as their job, so I'm sure you can easily get your chef to help you!"

"Hm, okay…" he wrote down the idea but couldn't help but feel like that would be cheating. He should do something on his own, shouldn't he?

"Oh I have one, how about a love poem, Viktor?" Yuuko snapped her fingers as the idea came to her mind. "Write a poem about how much you love Yuuri. If people do that on Valentine's Day, then that should be a good courting gift, right?"

"That's a good one, thanks Yuuko!" Viktor nodded happily, eager to make his list longer as he jotted her idea down. He was relieved. Compared to Leo and Mila's ideas, a poem sounds a lot easier since he had no idea how to paint or cook.

On Thursday, Viktor was able to catch Chris by himself while most of their other friends were playing tag. Chris had gotten tired and was catching his breath while leaning against a tree. Viktor pretended to need a rest as well.

"Hey Chris, you got a moment?"

The other alpha was still panting but nodded, slowly getting his breaths to even out. "Yeah, just give me a sec…" He allowed himself to slide down to sit at the base of the tree. After a few seconds passed he finally spoke up, "What is it?"

"I was hoping you can give me courting ideas for Yuuri." Viktor fished out his notebook and opened to a dog-eared page. He handed it over to Chris who frowned and read it curiously.

"Your list looks good so far."

"Can you think of anything else?"

"Hmm…" Chris was quiet for a moment. "How about a massage?"

Viktor looked at him skeptically. "A massage. Where did you get that idea?"

"Well, lately my older cousin's been courting this girl from his high school. Says it's pretty serious. He was hanging out at my house with his friend once and I heard them talking. His girlfriend always complains that her muscles hurt cuz she's part of their high school's swimming team, so he massages her all the time."

"Okay… I don't know if Yuuri is going to like it though if his muscles don't hurt." Viktor looked and saw Yuuri on the swings with Yuuko who had joined their group recently. He never looked like he was in pain.

Chris meanwhile watched Mila get tagged by Georgi before turning around to give chase to Phichit, Leo, and Guang Hong. "Well, I think it should still be good because my cousin said that it puts omegas in the mood to do other fun things and get to second base."

"What other fun things? And what's second base?" Viktor asked, bewildered.

Chris shrugged, "I don't know, cuz my mom walked over then and she smacked him on the head for talking about stuff like that in front of me. I asked him when she left what she meant and he just said I'll find out when I get older."

"Ugh, I hate it when older people say that."

"I know, right?! It's annoying, he says it all the time. I can't wait until we get older." The two shared a sigh of mutual woe. Viktor nevertheless jotted the idea down.

It was on Friday when Viktor was able to approach Phichit alone. He was the hardest to get by himself since he tended not to stray too far from Yuuri. Luck was on Viktor's side that day though when he heard the beta say that he was going back to their classroom to retrieve more polaroid film that he left in his desk. He followed Phichit and bumped into him on his way back to the courtyard.

"Hey Viktor, you didn't need to come in too."

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you alone that's why."

"Oh, really? Why?" Phichit's smile turned mischievous. "Is it because of Yuuri?"

Viktor coughed and stood up straight, unconsciously trying to make himself look taller. "Before I say anything else, you have to promise me not to tell Yuuri anything."

"Hmm…" the beta made a show of thinking it over. "Okay, fine. As long as it's nothing bad."

"Never!"

"Okay!" Phichit gave him a smile. "So what is it? Tell me, tell me!"

Viktor took out his notebook and flipped to the page. "I was hoping you can give me some courting ideas for Yuuri. I've already asked everyone else."

"Oooh… well I've got a couple of ideas."

Ideas as in more than one? This is great! "Awesome, what can you think of?" Viktor clicked his pen open, ready to take notes.

"You can take him out somewhere. Did someone think of that already?"

"Nope." He scribbled it down. "Like where?"

"Maybe a movie? You guys can also eat out somewhere after. Then maybe you can play in a park or something."

"That sounds like a good idea to do on a weekend. What else?"

"Well, my dad gave my mom a family heirloom before they married."

"What's a heirloom?"

"Something special passed down from your family. Like your great grandparent gave it to your grandparent who gives it your parent and then to you."

"Ooh…" Viktor was lost in thought as he wracked his head for ideas. There might be something he can give, he might just have to ask his Deda first. "Thanks. Is that all?"

"Yeah, I'll let you know though if I think of more ideas!"

"Thanks Phichit, you're the best."

The beta smiled and gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder. "Now come on, let's go back and you go first so Yuuri doesn't get suspicious."

* * *

Viktor was practically skipping down the steps once classes ended since he will be joining Yuuri on his ride home that day. Mrs. Katsuki had called the night before and proposed the idea of having him get a ride home together with Yuuri so that they could play before dinner later that night. He was ecstatic when Baba gave permission although Deda grumbled a bit over him not doing his homework at first.

Yuuri smiled seeing how happy Viktor was as the two walked together to Minako's car.

"Hey Yuuri, Viktor!" Minako called from the open window.

"Hi Minako-sensei!" Viktor had taken to calling her by the same title that Yuuri used which amused Minako to no end. Mari opened the door and scooted aside to make room for Yuuri and Viktor. Once all the kids had their seatbelts on, Minako pulled out of their spot and made their way to the Katsukis.

"So you excited, Viktor?" Minako called from the front.

"Really excited! I can't wait to see your house, Yuuri. Thanks for letting me come."

"Sure, I wanted to be able to see you since we couldn't hang out last weekend."

"Nah, I loved going to your recital. You were great, even my Baba said so! And plus, I got to give you my first gift. Don't forget, I've got another one and I'll give it to you later today." Viktor winked and patted his backpack.

Minako lifted one eyebrow and looked at the two in the rearview mirror. "What's this about gifts? Am I forgetting someone's birthday?"

Viktor turned to her eagerly, "I'm giving Yuuri courting gifts so that we can marry."

Minako burst out laughing. "My goodness, you two! Do your parents know about this, Yuuri?"

The omega blinked and blushed. He ducked his head down.

"I'll take that as a 'no.' Oh boy, you two never cease to surprise me! Was that what your flowers were for, Viktor?"

"Yup! It's okay, Minako-sensei, I can tell Yuuri's parents later. My Papa always told me that a good alpha doesn't keep secrets from family, and Yuuri's kinda like my family now too since we're mates!"

"I'm sure Yuuri's parents will be glad to hear that," Minako sniggered to herself in her own private joke while Mari gave the woman an unimpressed look.

The ride to Yuuri's house took slightly longer. Viktor looked out every now and then to find that they were in a sleepy suburb with the houses spreading further and further apart. They passed several historical monuments and landmarks, as well as the county park that he knew his grandparents sometimes went to for walks on the weekend. Minako made a turn down a winding hill and they passed a wooden sign that said "Lakeside Inn" that hung at the entrance of a narrow gravel road. Tall spruce and pine trees surrounded them on all sides before they stopped in front of a Victorian cottage.

"And here we are~" Minako sang as she put the car on park and got out.

Viktor pushed his side door open and took Yuuri's hand to help him hop down while Mari got out on the other side.

"Ah, what a gentleman!" Minako clapped. "Come, let's go in."

Viktor meanwhile craned his head to look around the trees surrounding the lawn. "Wow, I didn't know you lived in a forest Yuuri! Your house looks so cool!"

"Wait til you see the lake out back," Mari said, walking beside Yuuri.

Viktor's eyes widened. "Woah, you live by a lake!?"

Mari chortled. "Yeah, hence the name 'Lakeside Inn.' Not really original, but my dad just kept the name from when his uncle used to own it."

Viktor stood back and allowed Minako, Mari, and Yuuri to enter through first. He took in the sight of the small but homey-looking interior. There were several landscape paintings that hung in the foyer but he could barely make out some family photos in the hallway leading to the stairs.

"You wanna hang out in the back?" Yuuri asked, shrugging off his backpack.

"Yeah, I wanna see the lake!"

Minako called from the living room, "You two be careful, okay? Don't get too close to the lake, I don't want to have to fish you two from the water!"

"Don't worry, Minako-sensei we'll be good!"

"Yeah, we'll be good!" Viktor called as he allowed Yuuri to take his hand and lead him to the backdoor which opened to an elevated deck.

Mari was right, the backyard-if it could be truly called a backyard, held an even better view. The house was perched on a gentle slope that ended with a wooden dock which stretched several feet into the lake. There was a canoe and two kayaks tied at the end, rocking up and down gently in the water. He could see a large shed several feet away from them that had several oars resting against its side. A few feet from that were three sets of picnic tables and benches. He shifted his gaze to the other side of the yard to see a volleyball net and portable basketball hoop that had extra sandbags placed on top of its base.

As they walked down the deck's stairs Viktor saw a small fenced garden that held a few flowers but much more vegetables. Yuuri followed his gaze and explained, "My mom likes to grow some of our vegetables herself."

"I think it's neat! We have a garden too in my house but it's just flowers."

The two made their way over to a wooden swing near the lake and the two climbed on top of it, turning their gaze back to the water. They sat in silence for a while, Yuuri allowing Viktor to take some time to absorb the view. After a couple of moments Viktor breathed out, "This place is awesome Yuuri, you must have a lot of fun here."

Yuuri smiled bashfully and kicked his feet back and forth, setting the swing in motion. "I like it too, but it gets boring after awhile. I mostly just stay inside now."

"If I lived here, I would go on adventures everyday!"

Yuuri giggled and Viktor smiled, reaching over to hold his hand. "No really, look!" He pointed to a small dot at the opposite edge of the lake. "See that land? That's where the dark kingdom is. An evil witch lives there and we gotta protect our castle here from her dark powers! Cuz if we don't, everything in your Mama's garden will die and everyone in the kingdom will starve."

Yuuri's eyes widened and gasped starting to get into the story, "How would we stop her?"

"It's easy, I've got a magic wand," he reached down and picked up a long branch on the ground and began to twirl it around. "The only wand that can cast spells powerful enough to kill the witch!"

"How about me?"

"You can be the kingdom's top knight!"

Yuuri laughed and leaned his head back, looking up at the sky through the gaps in the wooden awning.

"Oh before I forget," Viktor said as he picked up the backpack he had carried with him. "You ready for your second gift?" He grinned when Yuuri's head snapped up and leaned in eagerly.

"Yes, please!" He watched intently as Viktor unzipped the bag and fished for the item inside.

Viktor took out a large package in green tissue paper and gave it to Yuuri. The omega took it into his hands feeling something soft inside. No wonder Viktor was able to squeeze it in his bag. "Go on, Yuuri, open it!"

"Okay." The sound of paper tearing filled the air surrounding them. "Ah, it's so cute!" Yuuri gasped at the stuffed brown poodle. "Oh, what's this?" he noticed a little slit along the dog's spine.

"It's also a tissue box cover, so you can put tissues in it. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I love dogs! Thank you so much, Viktor!" Yuuri beamed and nuzzled his cheek against its fur and breathed in the scent. It smelled strongly of Viktor.

"I always wanted a dog too. I have a similar plushie at home," Viktor smiled in satisfaction at seeing Yuuri in awe at his gift. This courting thing was a piece of cake!

* * *

"What a charming place they have," Lilia said a couple of hours later as she stepped out of the car, taking Yakov's offered hand.

"I just pray that this dinner will go peacefully. The last thing I need is our grandson making another scene."

The two walked up the steps and Yakov pressed the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Hiroko. "Welcome!" she greeted as she opened the screen door and stepped aside to let the two in.

Lilia noticed the shoes along the doorway and made to ask if they should remove theirs but Hiroko shook her head.

"Please feel free to leave them on, all of our inn's guests walk with shoes in here. It's just a hard habit for us ourselves to break."

"You have such a lovely home, Hiroko. How are the children?"

"Thank you! Viktor and Yuuri ate with Mari earlier. The two had a great time playing outside. They tired themselves out and fell asleep while watching some cartoons. I had my husband carry them upstairs to Yuuri's room to sleep."

"I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Oh it's no trouble really." Hiroko stepped into the dining area and gestured to the biggest table where the food was already set. Minako and Toshiya stood up when they saw the guests. "Anata, this is Lilia and Yakov."

Toshiya made his way over and shook Lilia and Yakov's hand. "Toshiya. It's great to meet you two."

"Our pleasure as well," Lilia gave a soft smile as she shook his hand. Toshiya pulled out a chair for her and gestured to Yakov to take the seat beside her. Lilia nodded to Minako who sat across from her, "It's nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too, Lilia," Minako smiled, still unable to believe that she was now on a first name basis with one of her childhood idols.

"We hope you didn't wait too long for us," Yakov spoke up as he looked at the dishes in front of them.

"Not at all. We did say six after all. It was all in good time since I added some extra side dishes."

"Thank you again for having us," Lilia said as Yakov was passed some salad. He looked curiously at the sesame dressing but poured it over the greens before he passed it over to her.

"And we're happy to have you here. With our Yuuri and Viktor getting to be such good friends, I figured that it would be nice for us to get to know each other. The two had so much fun earlier today," Hiroko smiled as she offered a teapot. "Green tea?" She offered Yakov first.

"Yes, please. Thank you."

"It is such a nice place you have here. Yakov and I sometimes go on walks in the nearby county park. We just never ventured down this road before."

"I'm not surprised, this is such a sleepy town," Toshiya spoke while his wife poured Lilia her tea. "But we do tend to get good business since there are not a lot of major hotel chains in the area. Many people like to come here for the historic landmarks and prefer a small family-owned inn anyway. The lake view is the main attraction."

"Has your family always lived here?" Yakov asked.

"No, we used to live in Japan until Mari was five-years-old. My uncle used to run this place with my aunt but after he passed away my aunt gave it to us, since she preferred to move to Hawaii where my cousins lived. At that time, we used to own a hot spring business in Japan but there was just not enough visitors to keep it afloat. We moved here then. Minako herself moved here about a year after us. How about you and Viktor?"

Yakov took a sip from his tea and placed the cup down. "Viktor was born in New York City, but his parents moved here shortly after looking for a quieter place to raise him. Lilia and I originally came here for vacation some time ago, but when his father had to go back to Russia for business she and I stayed behind to take care of Vitya."

The unspoken question hung in the air. Lilia decided to finally lay it out in the clear. "Vitya's mother, our Katya, died almost a year ago." She placed a comforting hand on Yakov's arm when she felt her husband tense at the mention of their daughter.

There was the sound of dropped cutlery and Minako mumbled an apology.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Hiroko gasped out. "Poor Viktor! I'm just grateful that you're here for him."

"Your grandson is very strong to go through something like that so young," Toshiya said frowning. "My condolences."

"Thank you. To be honest our Vitya didn't fare well for several months. He was very close to his mother."

"Of course, there's no stronger bond than that between a mother and child."

Yakov gave a weary sigh that appeared to age him several years, "He refused to leave his room for the first two months no matter how hard we tried to drag him out. And even then he was a shell of what he used to be, simply going through the motions. He hardly spoke a word. It's only for the past month or so that he began to be part of the living world again."

Lilia gave a sad smile. "That's why we were so happy when he and Yuuri became friends. Viktor's progressed so much these past few weeks, and we think a big part of it is because of your son."

"And we're happy too that Yuuri's found a friend in Viktor. You see our son," and at this Hiroko's eyes flitted to her husband who nodded in encouragement. "Our Yuuri has always been an anxious boy. Even at a young age he's always felt pressure to do well and doesn't take setbacks or failures easily. We've always done our best to encourage and support him. Your son has done wonders in making Yuuri feel more at ease in school. It's the first time that we've seen him look forward to going to class."

Lilia nodded and was thankful that the feeling was mutual in the two family's appreciation for Yuuri and Viktor's friendship. She decided to address the other elephant in the room. "I believe you are aware of this little courting game that they're playing, correct?"

Hiroko giggled and her husband chuckled. "Ah, yes, Minako had informed us of it earlier today. And Viktor himself told us that he was courting Yuuri so that they could get married."

Yakov groaned, "We'd just like to let you know that we have tried talking Vitya out of it, but our grandson doesn't listen and won't see sense."

Lilia quickly cut in, "Please do understand that we assure you that nothing… inappropriate will happen. I keep a close eye on my grandson and we make sure that he doesn't get his hands on anything that would be a negative influence on him."

"Oh please do not worry yourselves," Hiroko reassured, "I never suspected that anything like that would happen. Viktor's clearly a well-behaved child and he's a young gentleman when it comes to Yuuri. I've only ever seen them hug or hold hands, nothing more." Beside her Toshiya nodded while Minako remained silent, lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

Later that evening the Katsukis lead Yakov and Lilia upstairs. They passed Mari's bedroom and Hiroko paused to open the door to Yuuri's room carefully, trying not to make any noise. Everyone's eyes softened at the scene in front of them.

The lights were left on and they could see Yuuri curled on his side a foot apart from Viktor who lay facing him on the omega's twin-sized bed. The blankets were drawn up to Yuuri's shoulders but Viktor must have kicked his off during his sleep, the sheets entangled around his ankles. Between them was the brown poodle plushie/tissuebox cover that Viktor bought for Yuuri earlier that week. But the sweetest part was how, even in sleep, the two held hands in the space between them.

Hiroko stepped aside and watched as Yakov walked up to the bed, eyes uncharacteristically tender taking in the peaceful view in front of him. Lilia made her way beside him and gently reached over to softly cradle Viktor's cheek in her palm, watching as his eyelids fluttered open at the contact. "Baba?" He mumbled something in Russian.

Lilia grinned, "We must go now, Vitya. It's late."

Viktor groaned and snuggled further into the bed closing his eyes again. "Wanna stay with Yuuri."

Yakov sighed and reached down to pick up his grandson, grunting at the weight. "Another time, Vitya."

Viktor whined and continued to hold on to Yuuri's hand even as he felt himself being lifted up. The movement jostled Yuuri awake and the omega whimpered, still half-asleep. "Viktor?" He yawned and turned over to see Viktor being carried by his grandfather.

"Come now, Vitya, let go. You can sleep over another time," Lilia wheedled. Viktor pouted when Yuuri himself let go of their hands to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Bye, Viktor." Yuuri watched him from his place on the bed and waved.

"Bye, Yuuri," Viktor waved sadly as he rested his head on his grandfather's shoulder. The two held each other's gaze until he was carried out the room, Toshiya turning off the lights and closing the door behind him.

Back in the bed Yuuri sighed with his arm still stretched out at his side. The area of the bed where Viktor had lain was still warm. His hands felt the soft artificial fur of the plushie Viktor gave him earlier that day and he reached over to pull it close to his chest, burying his face into its soft warmth. It was no substitute for the alpha but it still had his scent and he allowed himself to be lulled by it, feeling himself falling into slumber again.


	6. The Courtship of Yuuri Katsuki

**Chapter 6: The Courtship of Yuuri Katsuki**

 _Ganbatte, Vitya-chan! Davai!_

The following Monday night Viktor sat hunched over one of the desks in the library. He had long since finished his homework, his tutor having already left two hours earlier. Around him were several crumpled pieces of lined paper. He frowned in concentration as he tapped his pen against the edge of the notebook, making several dots against the page as he reread the entire piece from start to finish.

 _My dear Yuuri_

 _Sweet omega, smiles soft and bright_

 _You make my heart happy_

 _When I see you, I feel so light_

 _Eyes rich like chocolate_

 _And hands perfect in mine_

 _You can keep my heart and lock it_

 _Because only with you I shine_

 _When we marry, I hope it will be soon_

 _I will be the perfect alpha and mate_

 _I would give you anything, even the moon_

 _Because this our destiny, this is our fate_

 _So please accept me_

 _And say that I can call you mine_

 _I will be forever happy_

 _If we can be together for all of time_

His frown melted away and his eyes shone brighter as he reached the end of the poem. That sounded as good as it will ever get. "This is the best one so far," he said, finally leaning back and stretching. Beyond the library's open door he heard his Baba's voice call for him.

He gasped when he saw the time on the grandfather clock. "Wow, it's already seven?" No wonder, he was late for dinner! He closed his notebook and hopped off the chair finally feeling the pangs of hunger. First things first, he'll get some food then he can rewrite the poem on nicer paper. Maybe he can even ask Deda to give him some of that fancy paper he kept in his study.

Viktor gifted Yuuri with the poem during recess two days later. He stepped back and let the omega read it grinning when he saw the omega's face get redder and redder with every line he read. Behind him was Phichit and Yuuko. The rest of their friends were preoccupied playing in another area of the playground.

Yuuri appeared to be at a loss for words and looked like he was re-reading the poem again from the very top while Yuuko sat back and swooned. "Viktor that was the sweetest thing I've ever read! You're so good with words."

"Well done Viktor. Look, I think Yuuri can't talk anymore. It's that good!" Phichit teased, nudging his best friend who ducked his head behind the paper.

"Th-thank you Viktor. This was really good. You should be a poet," Yuuri's smile outshone the sun.

Viktor's chest puffed up with pride. The cramped fingers and endless revisions were worth it.

* * *

Now if only he was just as successful in making this painting. This time, Viktor was in the sunroom that weekend sitting on a wooden stool in front of a canvas propped up on an easel. The light from the glass panes bathed the room in a warm glow in the October afternoon.

Earlier that week he had convinced his Baba and Deda to take him to a local art and crafts store to buy the supplies he needed to make a new painting. Instead of oils, the store employee recommended acrylics and suggested the cheap student-quality paints seeing as he was still young and new to painting. However, Viktor protested, determined that he will make this painting with nothing but the finest supplies. With the brushes, easel, canvases (he got several since judging from his poem it would prolly take him several tries until he was satisfied), palette, and paints, the combined cost ended up totalling over $200 which to any other family would have been quite the indulgence for a child's sudden whim to paint.

He told his grandparents that they learned some stuff in art class and wanted to give it a shot but saw how his Deda narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion. He had a feeling that his Baba suspected something too but decided to play along.

He looked down at the table he asked one of the maids to set up next to the easel for him which held several open art books of various paintings, trying to draw some inspiration from them. On the other side were some polaroids of Yuuri, courtesy of Phichit, so that he had a reference.

His eyes bored holes into the empty canvas in front of him as if it personally offended him. He huffed. Well, this painting wasn't going to paint itself. He dipped his brush in some water, wiped off the excess on a napkin like he read in the "Acrylic Painting for Beginners" book he bought, and dipped it into some of the blue paint before making a swipe across the canvas.

"It's... well, it's interesting, I'll give it that." Minako commented as she stared at the painting that Toshiya just finished hanging in their foyer. Yuuri's father set aside the original landscape painting that used to hang on the wall as he, Mari, and Hiroko stared at the new addition to their interior decor.

Mari and Minako were curious when they saw Yuuri walk over to the car earlier that day carrying a large rectangular package wrapped in brown paper. He said that it was another courting gift from Viktor but the alpha told him not to open it until he got home. Once they arrived home, Minako gathered Hiroko and Toshiya as Yuuri opened the package to reveal a painting housed in a varnished wooden frame. Yuuri had tilted his head at it curiously, not sure what to make of it, but asked his father to hang it before going upstairs to do his homework.

"I still don't really get what it's supposed to be," Mari muttered as she took a step closer to peer at it. The style reminded her of the paintings they learned about in art class, with the brushstrokes similar to a Van Gogh painting. However Viktor's strokes were a bit thicker, a bit wilder, and way more erratic. The image was less defined compared to a typical impressionist painting which made it even more difficult to distinguish what the subject was.

"Oh here, look at this part," Hiroko pointed to a set of two short blue lines above two thicker whitish-gray strokes. "These here look like Yuuri's glasses."

"Huh?" Minako said skeptically, "You mean to tell me that this is supposed to be a portrait of Yuuri?" She tilted her head as if it would make it easier for her to find Yuuri's likeness.

"Ah, now that you mention it, I kind of see the resemblance now." Toshiya chuckled. "Look at the mix of black, dark blue, violet, and brown above. I think that's supposed to be his hair."

"But why is the skin a weird mix of pale yellow, white, pink, and beige?"

"I guess that's just the style?"

"Well it's a weird style then," Mari said, finally stepping back to take the entire image in.

"Dio mio! What a beautiful work of art!" An accented voice cried out from behind the group and everyone turned around to see Mr. Viscomi, an Italian tourist who had been staying at their inn for the past two days. The elderly man clapped his hands, his eyes alight with wonder as he gazed at Viktor's painting. "Scusi, permesso, please let me get closer."

The group parted to allow the man through and watched with puzzled expressions as Mr. Viscomi stepped right up to the painting and leaned back. "Che bellissima! What an invigorating painting! The composition, the brushstrokes, the depth, the sheer magnitude of emotions-I can just taste the longing and admiration the artist holds for this subject."

The Katsukis and Minako were amazed at the outpouring of praise the man heaped upon the painting. This was the liveliest they've ever seen him.

"Well, some of the lighting is off… yes… but still, it's not enough to detract from what is obviously a sheer amount of raw talent!" Mr. Viscomi peered at the corner of the painting, trying to read the messy signature. "V. Nikiforov? I don't believe I'm familiar with that artist. Sounds Russian." He turned around to address Toshiya. "How much?"

Toshiya blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

Mr. Viscomi gestured to the painting wildly. "Please, I would like to purchase this painting. I'm an art collector, Mr. Katsuki, and I must have this for my collection."

Hiroko spluttered in disbelief. "I'm sorry, Mr. Viscomi, but I'm afraid that the painting is not for sale."

"Five thousand dollars! I will pay five thousand for this painting."

"I… we…" Toshiya's eyes widened comically and turned his head desperately to his wife. It was so tempting! Minako was no longer hiding her disbelief, her jaw dropping at the offer.

"Seven thousand dollars!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Viscomi, but...it's not for sale." Hiroko repeated, but this time her words were weak as she balked at the amount of money. Beside her, Minako gasped for air and clutched at her chest as if it physically pained her that Hiroko turned down the man.

"Then do you have others from this artist? Do you know the artist? I must meet him or her. You don't understand, this talent must be recognized! I must take some pieces for an exhibit!"

"Viktor told me that this was his first painting," a small voice piped up. Mari and the adults turned around to see Yuuri walking down the stairs, looking at the scene in front of him curiously. He ducked his head down when he saw everyone look at him. "I-I don't know if he made others. He told me he had a hard time making this one."

"Ah, hello young man," Mr. Viscomi smiled gently, walked over, and bent down so that he was eye level with Yuuri. "And who is this Viktor? He's a very talented painter."

Yuuri turned his eyes to the floor and mumbled, still uneasy at talking to strangers especially grown-ups, "Viktor's my mate. He painted this for me as a courting gift."

"Mi scusi, did you say 'mate'?" Mr. Viscomi muttered something in Italian. "Americans are much more forward than I thought. Is this some odd custom I'm unaware of, having kids court each other?" He directed the question to Hiroko and Toshiya.

Hiroko blushed while her husband simply shook his head vehemently. "Ah… it's just a little game the two play. Viktor is one of Yuuri's classmates."

"Davvero? You mean to tell me that I've been praising a five-year-old's masterpiece?"

"V-Viktor is seven." Yuuri whispered.

The man gasped. "An undiscovered child prodigy. This is excellent! Oh the art community will love this! What do you say to $10,000?"

In the end, a disgruntled Mr. Viscomi finished his stay and left two days later without a single painting. He did make Toshiya promise, however, that he would arrange a meeting between him and Viktor Nikiforov when he comes back to the area on his next trip to the United States.

* * *

Viktor's next challenge was to somehow cook Yuuri something. He had asked Mila to ask her Mama for a simple recipe and she had returned the following day with a list of instructions on how to make a chocolate cupcake. He then asked their chef, Mr. Moreau, to set aside the ingredients. When the man offered to bake for him, Viktor turned down his offer, saying that he was planning to bake with his Baba later that night. That earned him a raised brow but Mr. Moreau complied and left earlier that afternoon, typically leaving early since he and his grandparents often ate dinner out during the weekends.

Right now Deda and Baba were walking out in the county park near Yuuri's house as they liked to do on lazy Sundays like today. They invited him to join them but Viktor declined, saying that he was going to make something else for Yuuri. Now that he was alone he can get to work.

Viktor fished out the recipe that Mila got from her Mama. There were only six steps and they seemed simple enough. He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed the mixing bowl and looked back at the recipe. It called for ¾ cup of cocoa powder. Viktor had a hard time opening the box and ended up getting a whole bunch of cocoa powder on himself when he was finally able to pry it open. He was about to pour it into the measuring cup but stopped. If ¾ cup was good, then the full box would be even better, right? That should add some extra chocolate flavor to it! He nodded and poured the entire box into the mixing bowl.

What's next… ah, ¾ cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Viktor was unable to find the actual measuring spoons so he just did his best estimating the amount using a regular tablespoon.

Then the recipe called for three large eggs. He went over to the fridge and grabbed them from the side shelf. Just toss them in right? Viktor dropped them in the bowl and watched as one of them cracked against the side, making the yolk and egg white dribble down the shell and into the disastrous mixture.

The last thing was the butter sticks. He went over to the fridge again but found that there were only two. Now that wouldn't do. He grabbed a chair to see if he may have just missed one of them but still couldn't find any. He did, however, find a box of cream cheese sticks further back. Cream cheese, butter, what's the big difference? They were both sticks so that was close enough. Viktor reached over and opened the package to take one out and tossed it together with the butter sticks into the bowl.

Now for the actual mixing. Mr. Moreau had helpfully left the mixer out and prepped it on one of the granite counters. Viktor placed a chair against the counter and grunted as he struggled to climb up the chair while carrying the mixing bowl. He can't wait until he's older so he can also get taller! He lifted the top of the mixer and placed the bowl inside before replacing the top so that the beaters dug into the mixture.

Here goes nothing… Viktor pressed the on button and promptly yelped when some of the flour and raw egg splattered against him. He desperately looked at the appliance and pressed the buttons randomly until one of them finally turned down the speed. Unfortunately he was too late since most of the recipe was now on him in the form of cracked eggs and globs of half-mixed flour and cocoa powder. Viktor groaned in dismay when he saw that there was hardly any left in the bowl.

He growled in frustration and sat down in the chair. Good alphas never give up! Yuuri was worth it! He got off the chair and pushed it over to the cabinets that he knew had a whole bunch of instant and premixed food. There's gotta be something else he can make!

That peaceful walk did wonders. There was nothing like a breath of fresh air, warm sun, and a good conversation with his wife that rejuvenated and helped put Yakov in a rare good mood. Now all he needed was some brandy together with his favorite book to top it off. The couple walked up the front steps to the mansion and Yakov got the front door open.

Once he did, all senses were on high alert. Something was terribly wrong. While he couldn't see it, he could clearly smell smoke. Beside him Lilia gasped. "Vitya!" There was a commotion coming from the kitchen. The two quickly ran over to the source of the sound, the smell of the smoke getting stronger. By the time they reached the hallway leading to the kitchen they could already see smoke and most alarmingly, the flickering light from what were undoubtedly flames beyond the doorway that lead into the kitchen.

"VITYA!" Yakov called out as the two finally entered the kitchen. His grandson's back was facing him just a couple of feet away as Viktor stared eyes wide at the flames that came from what used to be their microwave. In front of it was Anna, one of their maids, who was struggling with the fire extinguisher.

"Bozhe moi," Lilia breathed in horror as she quickly grabbed Vitya and held her to him making him step further away from the flames.

"Give it here!" Yakov grabbed the fire extinguisher and pushed Anna away to safety as he stepped up to the flames and activated the extinguisher, sending a steady stream of white foam into the base of the fire. After a few seconds all the flames were extinguished. Yakov tossed the extinguisher aside and gasped for breath. He literally just lost at least five years of his life right there. "What happened?!" He turned to Anna, the poor woman trembling and shaking her head.

"I don't know, Mr. Feltsman! I came here when I heard Vitya yelling and saw the flames!"

"It's my fault," a quivering voice came from the boy still held tightly in Lilia's arms. "I did it. It was all my fault." Tears began to stream down Viktor's face and he flinched when Yakov turned his angry gaze to him. "I'M SO SORRY!" The boy began bawling and turned around to bury his face in his grandmother's middle.

Yakov was about to make a retort but cut himself off when Lilia gave a warning look.

"Vitya...it's alright. We're just happy that you're okay. That Anna's okay. But please tell us what happened." Lilia ran her hands through Viktor's long hair as she tried to soothe the young alpha.

"I was trying to cook."

Yakov closed his eyes in exasperation as he turned away and began to rub his temple. He already knew where this was going.

"Cook? But Vitya you could have just gotten me to make you something," Anna said.

"I wanted to cook something for Yuuri on my own. It would be cheating if I got someone else to help me."

Anna frowned in confusion, not knowing who Yuuri was or what he had to do with Viktor's sudden urge to cook.

Lilia gave a weary sigh as she knelt down in front of Viktor. "Oh Vitya…"

"I'm sorry."

Yakov walked over and stopped in front of them. Lilia shook her head and mouthed 'not now.' The poor boy was clearly remorseful enough. "It's alright, Vitya, it's alright. Just please don't do anything like that again. You scared us."

The boy nodded furiously. "I promise."

* * *

Viktor was uncharacteristically despondent and quiet the following day in school. Yuuri could tell that something was instantly wrong when Viktor could hardly look into his eyes when he greeted him a good morning before the bell rang for classes. The young alpha lacked his usual cheer as he sat down and laid his head on his arms, tracing random patterns on his desk with his index finger.

Yuuri turned around to see Mila, Georgi, and Chris frowning at Viktor. That confirmed that he wasn't imagining things.

"Hey Viktor, can I talk to you alone?" Yuuri approached Viktor during recess. Behind him, Phichit, Leo, Guang Hong, Georgi, Mila, and Yuuko carefully observed their interaction.

"Huh?" Viktor was staring off in space. "I'm sorry Yuuri, what did you say?"

"Can I talk to you alone?" Yuuri repeated. He was carrying a bag in one hand and held out his other to Viktor. The alpha blinked at the offered hand before he took it, getting up from the bench.

"Oooh look at that, your chubby little lovebird wants to talk to you Nikiforov!" A stocky alpha one year ahead of them called out. Viktor turned around, frowning, and was about to yell back when Yuuko beat him to it, huffing and stomping over to the older student.

"Hey, Takeshi Nishigori! You leave them alone right now!" Yuuri blinked, never seeing the cheerful girl this angry before. Yuuko actually growled and stood on her tiptoes, trying to intimidate the older alpha.

It appeared to work since Takeshi actually raised his arms in front of him in defense, clearly wary of Yuuko who had her fists clenched by her sides. "Okay, okay, sheesh." He actually blushed and pouted, walking away dejectedly.

Yuuri was a bit confused with Takeshi's response but he had more important things to take care of. Namely, his upset mate. Viktor was still staring at the space where Takeshi was. Okay, something was definitely wrong. "Come on, Viktor." He tugged the alpha's hand and he complied, turning around and letting Yuuri take the lead as the omega led them to a secluded tree at the corner of the courtyard.

Yuuri sat down, placing his bag beside him and Viktor copied him, crossing his legs and not bothering when the position caused some grass stains on his pants. Yuuri allowed a few seconds to pass before he asked, "What's wrong, Viktor?"

"Nothing's wrong." That did not sound convincing at all. "Just tired is all."

"Hmm… okay." Yuuri turned to look up at the leaves above them. Some were already turning slightly yellow. "So nothing happened this weekend?" He looked back at Viktor to see the alpha wince and duck his head down. Yuuri narrowed his eyes at the motion. It was so odd to see his own tic mirrored by Viktor and even stranger still to see the alpha so reclusive and closed-off. He squeezed Viktor's hand.

Viktor sighed and mumbled. "Maybe a little something did happen." Yuuri remained quiet. He wanted Viktor to tell his story on his own pace and didn't want to pressure him.

"Or maybe… something kinda big happened. I might have caused a fire in our kitchen."

That confession surprised Yuuri as he gasped and turned his whole body to face Viktor. "Oh my god, is everyone okay?"

"Y-yeah everyone's okay! Deda was really angry but I think Baba stopped him from punishing me cuz I normally would get in reaaally big trouble for something like this."

"How did you set the kitchen on fire?"

Viktor ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I was trying to bake you a cupcake as my next gift, but I spilled the mix all over me so I tried to microwave you some soup for lunch instead."

Yuuri frowned, confused. "But my mom microwaves soup all the time and she never caused a fire."

"Anna says it's cuz I left it in the can."

"Oh…"

Viktor groaned and pressed his knees against his chest, burying his face in his arms. "I'm so sorry Yuuri, I'm such a terrible alpha. I was gonna make you something good and I couldn't cook you anything. I don't have a gift for you this week, but I promise I'll get you an even better one next week to make up for it!" He lifted his face up to reveal tears streaming down his cheeks. "You'll still marry me, won't you?" His lips began to tremble as he held in a sob.

Yuuri's heart broke at the agonized expression on Viktor's face. He never wanted to see him like this again. Viktor was always cheerful, always bright like sunshine and it was all levels of wrong to see the alpha like this. "Viktor, please it's okay!" You'd think he said the opposite though because his words just caused Viktor to cry even more. "Really, Viktor! We're mates and I'll definitely marry you no matter what! I don't even care if you never even gave me gifts."

Viktor rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "R-really? Even if I can't prove myself as an alpha?"

"Yeah, really." Yuuri smiled and reached over to wipe away the tears with the edge of his sleeve. "Cuz you're already perfect. You're my alpha, remember?"

Viktor laughed in relief and he bent his head forward until his forehead was resting against Yuuri's. The omega giggled at the contact. "And besides, this time I have a gift for you !"

"What? A gift for me?" Viktor blinked in confusion. "But why? I'm the one who's supposed to be courting you."

Yuuri shrugged and turned around to retrieve the bag he placed beside him earlier. "I didn't want to be the one getting the gifts all the time, so I wanted to make you something. As a thank you too for everything until now." He placed the bag in front of Viktor. "Here, go on ahead."

A shadow of a smile appeared on Viktor's lips as he reached out to pull the bag closer to him. He pulled out the tissue paper in it to see a curious shape inside. "Oooh, what's this?" He reached in and felt paper against his fingers as he pulled the gift out. "Wow! Amazing!" A wide smile spread across his face as he stared in awe at the bouquet of blue origami roses. It looked just like normal flowers, complete with the green stems and leaves also made of paper. "This is so neat, Yuuri! My omega's awesome!" Viktor reached over to give Yuuri a hug.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! Thanks Yuuri!"

The moment was interrupted by a cough and the two students broke apart and turned around to see a tall woman in a red sweater and gray corduroy skirt walk over to them. She had long graying brown hair tied neatly into a bun at the base of her neck and peered down at them with calculating hazel eyes behind a pair of cateye glasses. "Mr. Nikiforov, Mr. Katsuki?" The young students separated and looked curiously back at the woman.

"Yeah?" Viktor was the first one to speak up as he reached over to hold Yuuri's hand. He can already tell the first signs of Yuuri's stress as he tensed up beside him.

Viktor wondered if this woman was going to tell them off like Mr. Thompson but to his surprise she simply gave them a thin smile and stopped a couple of feet in front of them. "What were you two doing?"

"Yuuri was just giving me a gift."

"Is that so? What's the occasion, Yuuri?"

Yuuri ducked his head and clammed up. Viktor frowned, thinking it wasn't any of the woman's business. "A late birthday present." It was a lie since if ever it was closer to a very early birthday present, but those were the first words that came out of Viktor's mouth.

The woman smiled again although it did not fully reach her eyes. "Well then, you two best return to your friends. People worry when you're by yourselves."

"Okay," Viktor got up with the origami bouquet in one hand and tugged on Yuuri's with his other. He was eager to get away from the creepy lady. His mate complied, reaching down to carry the now empty bag as the two made their way back to their circle of friends.

"That was weird," Yuuri whispered and Viktor simply nodded, not sure what to make of the woman either.

"Yay, they're back!" Phichit yelled as Chris whooped.

Leo spotted the paper flowers in Viktor's hand. "Ooh, what's that Viktor?"

"Hey that's pretty cool!" Georgi remarked as well.

"Where did you get it?" Guang Hong asked.

Viktor beamed, heart-shaped smile back on his face as he held up the bouquet proudly. "Yuuri got them for me as a courting gift. Aren't they great?! I have the best mate ever!" As he was surrounded by their friends, Mila took the opportunity to whisper to Yuuri, "Hey, good job. Whatever you did, you snapped him out of it."

Yuuri gave her a grin and Mila nodded in thanks.

"Okay, group picture time!" Phichit called out to a random student and asked him to take a picture of them. "Come on everyone, right over here!" The friends all gathered together, Yuuri taking his place by Viktor's side.


	7. Viktuuri's First Date

**Chapter 7: Viktuuri's First Date!**

 _Vitya-chan was seven-years-old when he went on his first date_

Later that week Viktor skipped across the empty ballroom and made his way over to the hallway that led to the parlor. He stopped in front of an ornate china cabinet, specifically looking at the set of bejeweled egg-shaped ornaments that were perched on the middle shelf. He hummed to himself as he scrutinized each one, wondering which one he'd like to give to Yuuri. He finally settled on the red one. Red was the color of love or something like that, right? Not to mention that when the light was reflected in Yuuri's eyes he can see hints of crimson mixed with the burgundy brown. Yeah, it definitely had to be the red one!

Now comes the hard part. He had to ask Deda. He remembered one time that Baba said that the most of the eggs came from his side of the family. He made his way over to his grandfather's study and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Deda?" He opened the door and walked inside to find that his Deda talking to someone on the phone.

"Perhaps next year, Christov… but in the meantime I don't mind doing consults every now and then… yes of course I still want to judge, but you know that I don't have that kind of time right now. I'd have to fly out of the country for the competitions and I can't leave Lilia behind. It wouldn't be fair…" Yakov's eyes flitted to Vitya as he continued to chat and looked down at some papers on his desk.

"Yes, I got the files you sent. You do know that I could easily just print out the applications myself, yes?" Yakov covered the bottom of the phone with his hand and whispered to Viktor, "What is it, Vitya?"

"I wanted to ask you something, Deda."

"Well? Quickly, boy, you can see that I'm on the phone."

"You know those shiny egg thingies Baba keeps in her parlor?"

"Christov now you're just being ridiculous! How can you possibly expect the girl to do quads when she recently sprained her ankle and fractured her toe? It's too soon!"

Viktor decided to just keep talking since it didn't look like Deda was getting off the phone anytime soon. "Anyway, I was saying...is it okay if I give Yuuri one of those shiny egg thingies? I wanted to give him a heirloom as a courting gift and that counts as a heirloom right?"

His grandfather frowned and waved him away as he listened intently to the man on the other end of the line. "Yes, yes, whatever Vitya."

Viktor smiled and cheered. "Yay, thanks Deda!" He smothered his laugh behind a hand when Yakov shushed him and waved him off.

"And close the door!"

Viktor closed it happily as he skipped back over to the china cabinet and opened it to reach for the egg he chose earlier. Yuuri's going to love this!

* * *

"Lilia, dear, I can't help but notice… did you give away one of your prized Fabergé eggs?"

Lilia opened her eyes and furrowed her brow as she gently placed her teacup back on its saucer and looked back at the elderly lady who sat across from her in the parlor. "I have not. Why do you say that, Agatha?"

The woman pointed a frail finger in the direction of the china cabinet behind Lilia. "Well the middle one's missing. You had three, correct?"

"What?" Lilia turned around incredulously her eyes zeroed in at the china cabinet. Sure enough her treasured set of Fabergé eggs, two of them gifted by Yakov on their wedding and given in turn to Katya upon her marriage was missing one member. And her favorite one, the only egg that was actually originally owned by her and not given by Yakov!

"Oh dear, please don't tell me it was stolen!" Agatha gasped aghast as she watched Lilia stand up and make her way over to the china cabinet as if getting closer will magically cause the missing egg to appear from a hidden corner.

"Anna!" Lilia called out. The maid quickly ran over from an adjoining room.

"What is it, Mrs. Feltsman?"

"Have you noticed that one of my Fabergé eggs is missing?"

Anna frowned. "I just cleaned this room the other day, ma'am. It was still here then."

Lilia narrowed her eyes. "Please get my husband from his study."

The maid returned a few moments later with a worried Yakov in tow. "Lilia, what's going on?"

"One of the eggs is missing, Yakov. The one that came from my grandmother! Do you know where it is?"

"How can I possibly know?"

Agatha stood up and sensed the mood sour further. "Perhaps I'd best take my leave." Her eyes flitted back and forth between the bickering couple. It didn't appear that either of them heard her. Anna did, however, and offered the elderly lady her coat and escorted her out the door.

"Calm down, Lilia, I'm sure it must be somewhere."

"You mean to tell me that an inanimate object magically gained the ability to walk out the china cabinet?"

"Hi Baba, hi Deda, I'm done with my lessons now." Viktor walked over to the middle of the room and looked curiously at their angry expressions. "Are you fighting?"

"Nevermind us, Vitya," Lilia said dismissively. "We're just looking for one of the eggs in the china cabinet."

"Oh the red one? I gave it to Yuuri yesterday." At that both adults turned to Viktor with incredulous expressions.

"I'm sorry, Vitya, what did you say?" Lilia begged all the gods in the universe that she heard her grandson wrong.

Viktor shrugged. "The red egg, right? I gave it to Yuuri as a courting gift. Phichit suggested giving a family heirloom and it counts as a heirloom right?"

Lilia stared in front of her unseeing, suddenly feeling faint as she slowly sat down in her chair. Yakov hurried by her side. "Lilia!"

"Yes, a heirloom...a most precious one. You gave it to Yuuri." Lilia was still dazed.

Viktor beamed, not sensing the atmosphere in the room. "Yup! And he loved it! We played with it during recess and made a game out of it. You know like how we hide eggs during Easter? Chris was really good at hiding it too. I think it was cheating really. He hid it in a sandbox, you know? That's not fair."

"You did WHAT?!" Lilia clutched her chest as Yakov yelled and grasped her shoulders in worry. It looked like she was about to have a heart attack.

Viktor laughed. "Don't worry Baba we found it in the end! It just took us like twenty minutes, but Guang Hong found it on time before recess ended."

Lilia was heartbroken. "But Vitya, why did you give it to Yuuri? Why didn't you ask us first?"

At those words Viktor frowned in confusion. "But I did. I asked Deda the other day."

Yakov yelped when sharp nails clutched his arms in a painful grip. "I'm sorry, Vitya, can you please say that again?" Lilia asked, her voice deceptively calm.

"Um… I asked Deda? And he said yes?" Viktor began to grow worried and backed away, now sensing the tension in the air. His eyes grew wide as he took in his grandmother's murderous expression that thankfully was trained on his Deda and not him. "Er… I'm gonna go play upstairs in my room now. Bye!" He quickly turned around and ran out the room.

"Lilia! Dearest, please, you're hurting me." Yakov trembled under the weight of her stare and was no longer able to hold in his whimper as he felt her nails pinch down further into his skin. "Please let me explain! I was distracted! It must have been when I was talking with Christov on the phone, you know how I get-"

"Darling Yasha, you do not know true pain. Not yet." Lilia gave a cold smile before she stood up and shoved him away. "That Fabergé egg was worth $8 million, Yakov! Eight million! To think that my grandmother's treasure has been reduced to a child's plaything!"

Upstairs Viktor could have sworn he heard a high-pitched yell. He shuddered. Wow, sometimes Baba could be downright scary!

* * *

"Kaa-san, can you please put this in the glass case where you keep your figurines?"

Hiroko turned around from washing the dishes and gasped at seeing the jeweled ruby-red egg nestled in Yuuri's two hands. It was around six inches tall, not counting the four curved golden stands attached to its base. She stared in awe with a slack jaw as she took in the gold detailing, the white diamond-striped pattern encrusted with miniature pearls and the pink roses inlaid between the white stripes. She hurriedly wiped her hands on a dish towel before bending down to pick it up from Yuuri with both hands. It was lighter than she thought it would be. "Yuuri-chan, where did you get this?"

"Viktor gave it to me."

Hiroko held it closer to her face and saw how even the edges of the roses had gold detailing. She frowned when she noticed a bit of sand stuck between some of the rose petals. "Why is there sand and dirt on this?"

"Chris hid it in the sandbox yesterday."

"Yuuri-chan, this is not a toy!" She rotated the egg in her hands and was relieved to see that no other damage was done that a good dusting couldn't fix. "This… this looks very expensive. Are you sure that Viktor's grandparents are okay that he gave this to you?"

Yuuri shrugged. "Viktor said he asked his grandpa if it was okay. I'm going upstairs now. I still have some homework to finish. Thanks Kaa-san!" And with that he made his way to his room.

Hiroko was still skeptical but she nevertheless made her way over to the glass cabinet in their dining hall and rearranged the figurines inside to make space for the egg. Minako followed her movements from her seat at the table where she was reading a magazine.

"Wow, Hiroko! Where did you get that?" Minako stood up and walked over.

"Another one of Viktor's gifts."

"A Fabergé egg? That looks authentic!"

"The pearls and diamonds on it certainly look authentic."

"I can't believe this… just how loaded is Viktor's family? I mean, I know his dad is a CEO and that Lilia came from an old aristocratic family but still, to be giving antiques like this away..." Minako shook her head in disbelief, her arms akimbo. Her eyes narrowed and a playful smile spread across her face. "So...when can we start planning the wedding ceremony?"

Hiroko giggled and smacked Minako's arm. "Minako-san, you stop it right now."

"I'm serious, Hiroko!"

0oo0oo0

The following week, Viktor approached his grandparents after dinner. The couple was seated in the living room with his Baba reading a novel and his Deda reading the daily newspaper. It was the friendliest he'd seen the two together recently without Baba staring daggers into his Deda's direction. As he made his way closer, Lilia placed a bookmark on the page and placed it on her lap. "What is it, Vitya?"

"I wanna take Yuuri somewhere this weekend."

"Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"Phichit suggested movies first. Then we can go eat, and maybe hang out in the park later?"

Yakov spoke up from behind his newspaper. "It's supposed to rain starting the afternoon on Saturday. You won't be able to go to the park."

Viktor pouted. Stupid weather, ruining his plans to court Yuuri!

Lilia pondered on it for a moment, laying her head back in the tufted ottoman. "How about the ice skating rink, Vitya?" Her recommendation had the desired effect as Yakov put down his newspaper and Viktor perked up at the suggestion. He hasn't skated since his Mama died and although he was still saddened at the reminder of her death, the young boy couldn't help but be happy at the thought of sharing something dear to him with Yuuri, who had easily become one of the most important people in his life.

Yakov and Lilia were carefully observing Viktor's reaction and were pleased when a soft smile lit his face. "I think that's a great idea Baba."

Lilia gave a pleased hum and reopened the book in her lap. "Well it's settled then. Your Deda will take you."

Yakov coughed and looked at his wife incredulously. "W-what? Why me?!" He gulped at seeing the steely glint in his wife's eyes as she returned his pleading expression with a devious smile. Oh this was most certainly payback. He internally groaned and accepted his fate, the dread settling in a cold pit at the bottom of his stomach.

"We're gonna have so much fun, Deda!" Viktor whooped.

* * *

Yakov grumbled as he slowly ambled behind the pair of kids in front of him. He parked a couple of streets away, since the public parking lot in the town center started to fill around this time due to the people who liked to dine in the restaurants and cafes that lined the main street.

Viktor was happily skipping along the sidewalk, holding on to Yuuri's hand as he gently prodded the omega to loosen up and have fun. It had taken a couple of minutes but soon enough Yuuri too began to laugh and follow along, allowing himself to be pulled by Viktor into the occasional pile of multicolored leaves and giggling when Viktor would kick them into the air, causing them to rain down them. Yakov had long since given up trying to get them to stop, all his scolding falling on deaf ears. Did they even remember that he was still here?

"So you've never gone to the movies here, Yuuri?"

"Nope. I always went to the one in the mall near our school."

"Well you're gonna love this theater! It's pretty small, but the seats are really comfy and they have extra snacks too. Not just popcorn but pizza, cheese fries, hot dogs… I used to go here with my Mama a lot. She liked to watch old black and white grown-up movies, but she'd come here with me too when new Disney movies came out."

"What did you guys watch last time?"

"Pocahontas."

"Ooh I watched that with Mari-neechan. I liked it a lot!"

"I was thinking of watching the newest one that came out in the summer. I didn't get to see it yet, did you?"

"Nope. What's it called again?"

"Um…" Viktor frowned as he racked his memory. "Hunchback of Northern Dam."

"It's Notre Dame, Vitya." That earned him two surprised looks as the boys turned around to look at him as if they just remembered that they weren't alone.

"Here we are!" Viktor pointed at the the classic marquee that listed the theater's current movies. "Come on, Deda, hurry!" He tugged Yuuri's hand as the two hurried on ahead. Yakov muttered under his breath as he tried to speed up his strides to catch up to the two boys.

Once inside, he gave Viktor some money so that he and Yuuri could go on ahead and order some snacks while he purchased their tickets. "Don't order too much now. Remember that we're going to have a proper lunch after this." Viktor simply nodded as he and Yuuri went on line at the snackbar.

"Which movie, sir?" A teenager with a black cap and matching shirt asked him from behind the counter.

"That damn Disney movie. Two kids, one adult."

"Your total's going to be ten dollars." He handed her the necessary cash and she gave him his tickets with a sympathetic smile. He turned around and saw Viktor and Yuuri walking up to him, each carrying a kid-sized popcorn bag and soda.

"Yay, Deda's got the tickets! Which theater?"

Yakov sighed and looked down at the stub. "Theater four."

"Okay, that's the one all the way at the end. Come on!" Viktor waved for his Deda to walk more quickly. Yuuri smiled up at the taller boy and allowed himself to be led down the hallway.

Yakov gave another long-suffering sigh as he trudged on ahead.

He was actually pleasantly surprised as they sat down in a cafe two hours later. The movie was actually pretty good, if not a little dark for a Disney movie. Yakov couldn't believe that it was rated G, considering that it had some rather adult themes although he knew that the children never really paid any mind to them and it was only the adults in the audience who took notice.

There was a part in the very beginning of the movie, when Quasimodo's mother died, that made him very nervous. He was afraid that it would trigger Viktor. He had quickly peered across the dark at his grandson, getting ready to grab the boys' hands and leave at a moment's notice. Viktor did look really tense at that scene, eyes wide at the animated woman who lay lifeless on the cathedral steps. Yuuri, the sweet child, had at that very moment offered Viktor some candy that he brought from home and thankfully got the alpha distracted as the scene quickly changed.

But back to the present. His eyebrow twitched as Viktor slurped up his spaghetti, causing the sauce to smear against his cheek. Yuuri giggled as he ate his own pasta more neatly.

"Vitya, stop playing with your food."

"'M not!" Viktor swallowed. "'M just sucking up the noodles, Deda!"

"Then stop making noise while you eat."

"Ish sho goo' though!" Viktor gave him a cheeky smile as Yuuri laughed.

"Vitya!"

Viktor bowed his head down but was still bashfully smiling as he proceeded to eat normally. Yakov gave a longsuffering sigh as he stared out the cafe's floorlength windows. The clouds were already starting to get darker outside.

He began to feel a pulsing rhythm on his forehead as he heard the beginnings of another round of giggling coming from the two boys in front of him. He peered from the corner of his eye to see movement. Viktor must have been playfully kicking Yuuri's feet under the table. The omega's shoulders were shaking as he was trying to hold in his laughter all while trying to finish his lunch.

"Viktor, you're still making a mess," Yuuri said softly as the other boy continued slurping up some pasta. Every now and then the end of the noodle would flick against his cheek, leaving a smear of red spaghetti sauce around his mouth. "You can twirl the pasta around your fork first."

"Whaddya mean?"

Yuuri scooted over in his chair and leaned in closer to Viktor, reaching out with his right hand to take Viktor's fork and twirled the fork around to gather the pasta around the tines. "Like this." Yuuri then lifted the fork up to Viktor's mouth. The alpha complied and opened his mouth wide allowing Yuuri to place the pasta into his mouth.

Viktor swallowed and said, "Ooh, okay!"

Yakov paused. Did the little omega really just feed his grandson?

Yuuri smiled and placed Viktor's fork down. He was about to pick up his own fork to eat one of his meatballs when Viktor coughed and asked, "Actually Yuuri, do you think you can do it for me again?"

"Oh, you want me to show you again?"

Viktor gave an innocent heart-shaped smile that was not convincing at all to Yakov's eyes, "No, I think I know how to do it but I think you do it better." His eyes flicked over to his Deda quickly before going back to Yuuri, "I don't wanna make Deda upset by making a mess after all." He finished the statement with an expectant smile.

Yuuri glanced at Yakov and leaned back towards Viktor's direction again, "Okay then." He proceeded to feed Viktor the rest of his pasta.

Yakov internally groaned and rested his forehead in the palm of his hand in an attempt to shield his face from view. He prayed that no one else in the cafe noticed the children's odd behavior. Viktor was truly his father's son.

A few minutes later the waitress came by to pick up their empty plates and offered the dessert menu which Yakov promptly turned down to Viktor's disappointment.

It looked like it was going to rain at any moment by the time that the group exited the cafe. Luckily, they were safely back in the car before raindrops began to fall. It turned into a downpour by the time Yakov pulled into the ice rink's parking lot. He turned around and handed Viktor an umbrella, "You two will have to share." Yakov then grabbed his own umbrella and tucked a duffle bag under his arm before making his way out of the car.

Viktor hopped down the seat and opened the door, opening the umbrella before taking Yuuri's hand. He pulled the omega close to him and followed his Deda into the building. "I used to go here with Mama all the time. She was a professional figure skater you know, and a really good one! You should see all the medals she has at home. Deda used to coach her," Viktor nodded to his grandfather who was over at the rink's desk. He was well-known at the rink and the man behind the counter welcomed him with an eager smile.

"Yakov! So nice to see you again!" The man's smile faded a bit as he said a bit more gently. "I hope things are better?" His eyes saw Viktor and Yuuri holding hands behind him. "I see Vitya's got a guest?"

Yakov nodded. "Good to see you too, Mark. Well enough as you can see. Vitya's ready to skate again."

"Hi Mr. Von Beyer!"

"Hello there Vitya, we're so happy to see you again. And it looks like you brought a friend."

Viktor grinned and gestured to Yuuri who gave a small wave. "Yup, this here is Yuuri. He's my ma-"

"Any rinks free right now, Mark?" Yakov quickly cut off his grandson. Viktor must have noticed because he pouted at his back.

Mark was a bit confused but quickly looked down at his schedule. "The zamboni should be almost done with Rink 2 and it's free for the next two hours." He winked. "If anyone asks, I'll just say you rented it, okay?"

Yakov nodded. "Thanks. We'll be sure to make a proper reservation next time."

"You kids have fun!"

"Thanks, Mr. Von Beyer!" Viktor gave a wave as he followed his grandfather over to the skate rental. Once they were able to get Yuuri a pair of skates that fit, they made their way to a set of seats that were located right next to the rink's entrance. Yakov crouched down in front of Viktor and opened the duffle bag he carried with him revealing a pair of white skates with golden blades.

"Here, let's see if these still fit, Vitya." Viktor took off his shoes and set them aside.

Yuuri watched intently as the taller boy placed his feet into the skates, Yakov taking time to tighten and tie the laces.

"How is it?"

"I think it's good, Deda, thanks. Can you do Yuuri next?"

Yakov shifted over, Yuuri already having taken off his shoes. Yuuri mimicked Viktor's earlier movements, wincing a bit once Yakov finished tying the laces. Yakov must have sensed his discomfort. "It has to be tight, Yuuri."

Viktor patted his hand before holding it in his own. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Now try standing."

Yuuri did, and wobbled quite a bit. He yelped but Viktor and Yakov held firm. The little omega blushed as he tried to balance on the thin blades. How can he possibly ice skate if he's having such a hard time staying on his feet?

"Try to evenly distribute your weight, Yuuri." Yakov suggested.

It was easier said than done but finally Yuuri was able to stand still. He wasn't confident if he'd be able to do it without holding on to Viktor. Yakov took some time to retrieve his own pair of skates from the duffle bag and tied up the laces.

Viktor smiled and tried to temper his excitement down for Yuuri's sake. "Don't worry Yuuri, we'll walk slowly, okay?" The three shuffled as a group over to the rink and finally stepped inside, the temperature instantly feeling at least ten degrees cooler. By the time they made it to the edge of the ice, Yuuri was trembling and it was more from the cold now rather than his difficulty with his balance.

Yakov nodded to Viktor who took his first step back on the ice. He stayed by the edge, holding out one hand to Yuuri.

"Come on Yuuri. Don't worry, I'll hold on tight and Deda will help too." He gave an encouraging smile and Yuuri gulped, deciding to have faith that the alpha will be able to prevent him from falling face-flat on the ice. He wordlessly took his hand and placed one shaky skate on the ice and then another.

"There, you're doing great Yuuri!" Viktor grinned. Yuuri, however, was too focused looking down on his skates and trying to keep his balance to notice it.

"Now try marching forward, Yuuri." Yakov said, hands still holding the back of Yuuri's shoulders within easy reach to support him should he fall. It's been awhile since he's trained novices, but he easily remembered the tips that his assistant instructors would give to new skaters.

Yuuri bit his lip and tried to do what the man suggested but ended up sliding a bit too much on his left foot which sent him falling. Thankfully Yakov was quick enough to support him before he went sprawling butt-first on the ice.

Viktor noticed the frustrated look on Yuuri's face. "It's okay, Yuuri, it takes awhile before you get the hang of it. Here," he reached over and grabbed Yuuri's hands. The omega's knees buckled as he struggled to stand straight, but get up he did.

"Try pushing forward a little, Yuuri. One foot at a time." Yakov nodded to Viktor. "I can hold him, Vitya. How about you show him? Remember how you did it on your first day."

"Yeah, got it." Viktor skated backwards a bit which Yuuri watched with enraptured eyes. "Like this, Yuuri." He pushed forward on his right foot, then the left. "Did you ever ride a scooter before?"

"Yeah, I did once. My sister used to have one before she broke it."

Yakov loosened his hold on his arms a bit before gently nudging Yuuri forward. "Remember how you would push off the ground with your foot? It's like that. Try doing that with your right foot."

Yuuri bit his lip and made an attempt, surprising himself when he was able to do the move without falling down. His eyes brightened. "I did it!"

Viktor laughed and skated a bit closer. "That's great Yuuri, now try it with your left foot."

This time he was a bit shaky but still, at least he didn't fall down.

"Now let's keep doing that, Yuuri. I'm still behind you."

Yuuri looked a bit worried, just realizing that they were getting further away from the rink's entrance. Viktor took a hold of his hands. "Don't worry, I've got your hands okay? And we'll stay close to the side. If you get scared you can just reach over and hold on to the edge."

Yuuri nodded and bit his lip in concentration. They continued that way for awhile, making it to the opposite side of the rink.

Yuuri looked back and saw how far he'd skated.

"You're doing well Yuuri. Most new skaters aren't able to make it this far so quickly." Yakov commented. It made Viktor proud since he knew how rare his Deda would offer praise.

"I want to see you skate, Viktor." Yuuri said softly.

"Yes, how about we take a break first. Vitya you can do some warm ups while Yuuri and I sit down." And with that Yakov led Yuuri over to a nearby opening in the rink that had a couple of seats right next to the ice.

"Okay," Viktor grinned and pushed off, gliding away into the ice. Yuuri watched, transfixed with how the alpha made it look so effortless, so graceful. He made some crossovers before turning around to begin skating backwards.

"Viktor's been skating since he was three-years-old," Yakov said at his side. "Always clumsy, that kid. But put him on the ice and he never had trouble. My Katya barely had to teach him before he just started gliding on his own." There was a faraway look in his eyes that made Yuuri wonder if the man even remembered that he was there. It was more like Yakov was talking to himself, lost in his memories.

"I'm going to try to jump, Deda," Viktor called as he passed by them. That got Yakov's attention as he stood up and made his way back on the ice.

"Vitya, I don't think that's a good idea."

"But I already did my warm ups!"

"You haven't skated in months. We have to build you back up before you start jumps again!"

Viktor turned to look at Yuuri who was watching the exchange intently before he winked. "I'm still gonna do it!"

"Vitya!"

Viktor laughed and got into position, slowing his skating to a moderate speed and extending his arms out to his sides. He then bent his left knee and hopped into the air, making a single twirl before landing with his right toepick on the ice and placing his left foot flat with his arms extended. "See, I did it! Yuuri, did you see that?" He waved his arms.

Yuuri jumped up and began clapping, "Viktor, that was awesome!" He stood against the counter as Viktor skated over to hold Yuuri's hands, ignoring Yakov's stern expression.

"I told you I could do it Deda." He grinned cheekily.

"The landing on your right foot was still shaky. You should be happy you didn't bend your ankle the wrong way. No. More. Jumps."

Viktor groaned. "Ugh, fine." He turned back to Yuuri and gave him a heart-shaped grin. "Did you like it though, Yuuri?"

"I loved it! You're so great at skating, Viktor!" The taller boy preened at the praise.

"Thanks! Now how about we skate some more? I can't wait until you get comfortable enough so we can skate together." And with that, the trio began to continue skating with Yuuri along the edge of the rink. By the end of the hour, Yuuri became comfortable enough that he didn't need Yakov's support behind his back all the time. He still occasionally fell, but his movements became less choppy and he started to develop some semblance of a glide rather than shuffling awkwardly on the ice.

Yakov groaned as he heard his back crack when he lay down and stretched on their bed. Beside him, Lilia smiled to herself in satisfaction. "So, how did it go?"

"Woman, I've had my back bent for 2 hours teaching that little omega how to skate."

"Is that so? You poor dear." That remark earned her a disgruntled look.

"Thankfully the omega was a quick learner."

"And Vitya?"

"Stubborn boy still made a jump, despite me telling him not to. That boy is trying too hard to impress that omega."

"I'm glad though. It was a risk, having me suggest that Vitya take Yuuri ice skating. But I didn't want one bad memory to ruin something that used to be such a big part of his life."

The two laid back in silence for awhile and Yakov closed his eyes when he felt his wife place a soft hand on his arm.

"You know, Yasha, I think our Vitya will be just fine."

Yakov opened his eyes again and recalled the proud look on Viktor's face, alight with triumph at successfully executing the jump as he absorbed Yuuri's praise. A shadow of a smile ghosted his lips. "I think so too."

Several feet away, in the room on the opposite end of the hall, Viktor still lay awake in his bed. He was still filled with the excitement of teaching Yuuri how to ice skate, still filled to the brim with the happiness and contentment that came from another day of successfully courting the omega.

He turned and faced the bedside table where he could see the framed photo of him and his parents, lit by a nearby nightlight. In the picture, his mother was laughing and holding a four-year-old version of himself, the two having identical heart-shaped smiles. Her long hair was flowing in the wind and he vaguely recalled that spring day when one of his hats got blown away from his head. His father, ever the stern man, only spared a thin smile but his blue eyes, the same eyes he inherited, were softened with affection as he gazed at his wife. He was wearing his usual charcoal gray business suit, blonde bangs swept to the side.

He wondered what his father was doing now. It's been so long since he's seen him. His thoughts then turned back to Yuuri. He's been courting Yuuri now for several weeks and he was pretty much done with the list. But no, there was actually one more gift he wanted to give and this time, Viktor noted with pride, the idea will all be his.


	8. Of Memories and Anticipation

**Chapter 8: Of Memories and Anticipation**

 _The love story before Viktor and Yuuri_

One of the earliest memories that Viktor could recall was when he was four-years-old and he ran away from his Mama while they were walking in the county park near Yuuri's house. It must have been late November because he remembered that his birthday was coming up the following month. His Papa was away in another country because of work and he had really been looking forward to seeing him again on his birthday.

"I'm so sorry, Vitya, but your Papa said he wouldn't be able to make it after all," his Mama said with a sad smile as she squeezed his hand. "But I promise, we'll still have fun, okay? Your Baba and Deda are coming over to visit."

He remembered growling in frustration and stomping his foot. "I don't care about Baba and Deda, I want Papa to come!" The anger in his words stunned his mother.

"Vitya, you shouldn't say things like that. I know you're upset, but-"

"No!" He let go of his mother's hands and ran ahead in the trail, ignoring her calls. After a while of running he decided to turn and get off the path to make his way towards the river. He stomped through milkweeds and snowberries and pushed his way across the tall cattails, finally making his way onto the thin sandbar. It was high tide and there was not much space before his feet would start treading water. Viktor huffed and sat down right at the water's edge, not minding the squelch that signified the mud that was ruining his clothes. Mama would be upset later but he didn't care.

Stupid Papa. He always had to go away on trips. He should have expected this though, that he would end up not showing. He always failed to come home somehow. But a small part of him still hoped that this time would be different. That this time, he would actually make it. He was going to turn five-years-old after all, so he's a grown-up now.

Viktor leaned over and rested his weight on his toes to look at the water. His reflection stared back at him, short silver hair with bangs swept over his left eye. His Mama always liked to style his hair the same as his father's, saying that he was the alpha of the house while his Papa was away. Viktor frowned and roughly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands when he saw the tear streaks trailing his cheeks. He didn't even realize that he was crying.

There was the sound of rustling coming from behind. Viktor ignored it, figuring that it was just the wind making the cattails swish back and forth but then a soft voice spoke up.

"Um… are you okay?"

Viktor tensed but didn't turn around, not wanting to reveal to the stranger that he was crying. It must have been a kid like him since the voice was tiny and rather high-pitched. "I'm fine."

The voice settled behind him as he heard the sound of tiny feet on the muddy ground. "Oh okay. I just wanted to make sure. I saw you running over here and you looked sad."

Viktor pouted. "I'm not sad," he insisted with a huff.

"If you say so…" An indistinct voice called out from the distance. "I think my parents are calling me, so I'm going now." Viktor heard the footsteps come closer and a white cloth appeared over his shoulder. "Here, use this. Don't cry anymore, okay?"

So the stranger already saw him crying earlier. He must have missed him while he was running along the trail. Viktor wordlessly took the piece of cloth and turned it over. It was a white handkerchief with navy blue stripes running along the edge. On one corner there was a set of foreign letters embroidered in dark blue thread. He fingered at it curiously and turned around to ask what it said but found that the stranger was gone.

That was around three years ago now, Viktor recalled as he looked down at the same handkerchief that he had kept from that day. It was buried at the bottom of one of his shirt drawers. He never really did find out who that other child was. He and his mother still frequented the park afterwards and he played with many kids in the playground, but none of them had the same voice as that kind stranger who comforted him that day. He regretted not being able to thank him or her.

Viktor walked over with the handkerchief and made his way to his parent's bedroom. Checking to make sure that no one else was around, he opened the door, careful not to make any noise and closed it behind him. It still looked like it always had back when his parents were still there since Anna and the maids cleaned it routinely even with the lack of inhabitants.

He stepped over to his mother's dresser and pulled out one of the top drawers, finding several jewelry boxes. He opened them one by one. There were many priceless necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings with some of them appearing to belong more to a museum than tucked away in a dresser. But there was a particular piece that he was looking for.

Just when he was about to give up, his eyes spied a small jewelry box at the very back. He reached over to open it and smiled in satisfaction at finding the golden ring he was looking for. Unlike the other pieces in his mother's collection it was a very simple one, unadorned and lacking any intricate details. But he recalled how his father once told him that it was a ring that they passed down from his side of his family to present to their mate. He remembered learning that it was at least a hundred years old.

Viktor nodded to himself and snapped the jewelry box closed, wrapping it in the white handkerchief that he brought with him. He stepped back out of the room and quickly closed the door, feeling uneasy with staying in there any longer than he had to. There were too many ghosts and memories in that room.

* * *

"Hey Phichit!" Viktor managed to get the beta to himself after lunch that Tuesday. He purposely stayed behind while their friends went ahead when he saw Phichit still cleaning up his tray.

"How'd it go?" Phichit asked eagerly, wasting no time.

The alpha laughed. "Great, actually. But we ended up ice skating instead of going to the park."

"That makes sense. It was raining pretty much all weekend. That's great though! How did Yuuri like it? I don't think he's ice skated before."

"We had to teach him slowly but with me and Deda, he learned pretty quickly. I can't wait. I think just a couple more times and he'll be ready to ice skate with me for real!"

"Aww I wish I could be there to take pictures!"

"Actually that's what I was hoping to ask you about." The two made their way outside and Viktor looked over to where Yuuri was sitting on one of the benches and chatting with Yuuko.

Phichit followed his gaze. "Whaddya mean?"

"I was hoping you can give me one of your pictures. I wanted to give Yuuri a photo of us for him to keep. You haven't given him any, right?"

Phichit smiled and shook his head. "No, I haven't. But yeah, sure, I'd love to give you one! I can't wait til you guys get married, it's gonna be so cool!" He waved over to Yuuri who was looking at them curiously. "I can gather all my pictures and I'll sneak away tomorrow during recess. Meet me by the tree at the corner over there. You can take a look at them and pick which ones you want."

Viktor gave a relieved smile. "Thanks a lot Phichit. I'm planning to frame the photo and-"

"Hey! Takeshi stop it!" The two turned around to see Takeshi sniggering down at Yuuri. He had the omega in a headlock and was giving him a noogie. Yuuko was standing up and smacking her fists against the older alpha's arms to no avail. "Stop it right now!" A couple of feet away, the rest of their friends saw the commotion and were making their way over.

Viktor growled when he caught a glimpse of Yuuri wincing. He looked close to tears. He ran over and shoved the older student. He was at a disadvantage though due to Takeshi's taller height. That, combined with his heavier weight, only allowed Viktor to push the taller student slightly but Takeshi's arm around Yuuri was still wound tight. The older student laughed at Viktor's pathetic attempt. "Aww, your alpha coming to your rescue, Katsuki?"

Mila finally caught up and yelled, "Quit it, Takeshi, it's not funny!" She slapped him across his back.

"Yeah, just let him go." Leo frowned by her side, Guang Hong behind him staring at the scene with wide eyes as Georgi also tried to push the older student off Yuuri.

"Why do you keep bullying Yuuri, anyway?" Chris challenged. "What's he ever done to you?"

At those words Takeshi stopped, eyes wide with shock. "Wait, what? I'm not a bully!"

Viktor however was not having it and proceeded to kick Takeshi really hard on his shin. "Get off him now!" The older student yelped and finally let go of Yuuri who gasped and curled himself into a ball on the ground.

"I can't believe you, Takeshi! You're so mean!" Yuuko scolded him as she wrapped her arms around Yuuri's shoulders.

Takeshi looked lost as he watched the little omega begin to tremble. He was undoubtedly crying. "I-I didn't mean to…"

Viktor snarled and pushed Takeshi back before stepping between him and Yuuri. This time he succeeded in making him take several steps back. "Leave already, before I tell on you!" The older alpha took one last look at the omega before he turned around and walked away.

"He's gone now, Yuuri, don't worry," Phichit said as he knelt beside Yuuri. Yuuko had stepped aside to allow Viktor to wrap Yuuri in a hug, running a hand through his hair and whispering comforting words in his ear. Georgi, Guang Hong, and Chris were behind them, their eyes trailing Takeshi to make sure that he wasn't coming back.

Mila followed their gaze but then went beyond Takeshi's retreating form to see a tall lady watching the entire scene from the other side of the courtyard. Her eyes narrowed as she observed the woman frown and lift her right hand to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose before turning around and walking back inside the school.

* * *

One night later that week, Viktor asked his Baba to tuck him in earlier than usual saying that he wanted a special bedtime story. Lilia wasn't sure what to make of the odd request since Viktor had long since outgrown bedtime stories, usually more content to read books on his own before going to bed. She sat beside him and smoothed his hair back. "Was there a particular story you wanted me to tell you, Vitya?" She only knew of few Russian fairytales that her own mother told her.

Viktor blinked up at her. "Can you tell me how Mama met Papa and how they got married?"

Lilia leaned back in surprise. "What brought this on?" Viktor never really expressed an interest before.

He shrugged under the covers, "I just wondered. You told me before that they didn't like each other at first but they still married."

"I did, didn't I?"

Viktor nodded and looked at her expectantly. Lilia sighed and prepared herself for a long story. "They met in Moscow, around five years before you were born. Katya had finished another skating season and won gold at the World Figure Skating Championships and she decided to take on some modeling jobs to earn extra money."

Yekaterina Feltsman sighed as she leaned back against the velvet chaise. It was a bit chilly in the studio and while she was able to bear it for the first twenty minutes, it has now been an hour and the Chanel dress that she was wearing was only made of thin layers of tulle and only reached her thighs. They could have started shooting pictures earlier, but the photographer told her that the marketing team of the commissioning company wanted to be present for the session. She watched as her father grumbled and walked over to her.

"I can't believe this. It is highly unprofessional! They have no respect for our time at all."

Yekaterina smiled and reached a hand over to her father's arm, like she had seen her mother do so many times in the past. "Calm down, Papa, it can't be much longer." She should have known better than to let her father tag along to this photoshoot, but he was always overprotective and liked to accompany her if the location was local.

Yakov glared at her hand. "Your hands are cold, Katya. You must be absolutely freezing." He shrugged off his coat and draped it over her form. "Where's that damn photographer? I'm going to tell him to start now otherwise we're leaving, contract be damned!"

As if summoned, the elderly photographer, Feliks, called from the back of the studio. "They're here, Katya dear! And we have an extra special guest today." He finally came into view with a little bounce in his step as he gestured to his assistant to hand over his camera. Yekaterina watched curiously as a group of men and women in stiff business suits followed the photographer. "We have here some of the top people from the marketing team at Nikiforov Industries." The group parted to allow a tall blonde man to walk to the front, strides confident as he towered over the group in his pristine business suit. He had a disdainful expression on his face and looked like he preferred to be anywhere else but there. "And this gentleman here is Mr. Andrei Nikifirov, CEO of the company. So pleased to have you with us Mr. Nikifirov, we're honored."

The man nodded his head in greeting as his cold azure eyes behind his long bangs swept across the studio scrutinizing everything in the room before settling on Yekaterina's form. She couldn't help but shiver under that piercing stare and she had the suspicion that it had nothing to do with the chill in the room.

"Now, Katya dearest, please take off that jacket and let's get started."

"About damn time," Yakov grumbled under his breath but acquiesced, retrieving his jacket and shrugging it back on before making his way to the side and allowing the photographer and assistants to do their work. Feliks began by taking some test shots, every now and then pausing to bark commands at his assistants to shift the softbox around the set.

"Alright, much better," Feliks remarked as he inched closer to Yekaterina and adjusted something in his camera. "Relax, Katya, you're much too stiff. Allow your body to drape against the chaise. Let go of any tension, allow your limbs to be loose. There, much better." He leaned back to absorb the entire scene before addressing the assistant beside him. "Olga, give Katya the product and adjust her dress for me please." The woman nodded and returned shortly carrying a mobile phone and handed it over to Yekaterina before adjusting her dress, making the fabric show off more of her shoulders.

"Perfect, now Katya don't clutch the phone, simply let it lay on your lap and just touch the end of it with your hand. We want to be able to see the product more." Yekaterina did as she was told, chancing a glance at Mr. Nikiforov to find him still staring at her with that same penetrating stare. It was a bit unnerving.

"And that's it! Now hold that pose," The sounds of the camera's shutter filled the studio as Feliks proceeded to take several shots. She shifted every now and then under his instructions, trying other positions where she lay on her side, then on her back, and then some close-ups with the phone against her chest. After several minutes, Feliks gave a triumphant smile. "And I think that's it. Perfect as always, Katya dearest." The man turned around and addressed the CEO, who was silent throughout the session. "What say you, Mr. Nikiforov? These photos will look splendid on a magazine!"

Andrei looked back at Yekaterina who returned his gaze with a light blush. He huffed before shifting his eyes down to look disinterestedly at his wrist, adjusting his cufflinks. "Acceptable, I suppose. Our product will sell either way, even if the model you hired is only mediocre at best." He nodded to the employees standing beside him. "Good day," he muttered before turning around and walking out of the room without another word. The marketing team must have been used to his caustic words since none batted an eye before following their boss out the door.

Feliks stared at the door where the group exited his mouth hanging in shock while Yekaterina's blush intensified in shame. Mediocre? Her? Sure she was not a full-time model, only taking odd jobs every now and then when she was not too busy practicing for the skating season, but surely she was good enough judging by the price tags attached to the projects that she would sign on.

She was brought back to the present when she heard her father's colorful curses and sighed.

"Don't listen to that man, Katya. His words are absolute lies. The nerve, insulting you like that! Making us wait for an hour and not even the least bit grateful! Insolent, arrogant man!"

Yekaterina nodded before standing up. She was perfectly fine if she never crossed paths with Andrei Nikiforov ever again.

"Wow, Papa was really mean, wasn't he?" Part of Viktor was still skeptical that his father really said something like that. All throughout this life, he had only seen his parents deeply in love and while Andrei Nikiforov was never really an emotional man, it was clear how he worshiped his mother and treated her like she was the only woman in the world.

Lilia smiled after she recalled the story her indignant daughter told her when she stormed home later that day, Yakov supplementing her story with his own angry recollection. "It _was_ very mean. But you know what, I think your father fell in love with her even then."

"But why would he say such bad things if he loved her?"

"Sometimes when people are confused with their feelings they try to push the other person away."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"No, I suppose it doesn't. But despite that, your mother kept running into your father the following year."

Yekaterina frowned as she hung up the phone after talking with the representative on the other end of the line. She continued staring at the phone for several seconds after, as if it held the answers to the questions that swirled in her head.

Her mother walked into the room. "Who was it, Katya?"

"Irina from Nikiforov Industries again. This time they want me to shoot a commercial. In Thailand of all places. Apparently they want to go for a summer feel with their next theme."

Lilia hummed and sat down beside her daughter on the loveseat. "You know, dear, you don't have to keep taking on these projects." She gestured with a hand at their surroundings. "Look at where you live. We are not in want of any money. At all."

Yekaterina pursed her lips. "I know, but I always like to donate the money I earn to charity. To support the orphanage, you know? It's important to me, and I like to have something else to do when I'm taking breaks from skating." There was a momentary lull in the conversation as the young omega, just having blossomed into womanhood, curled her feet under her and looked down at the floor. "But this time, Irina said that Mr. Nikiforov himself arranged a private jet to take me to the location."

Lilia frowned, "If the man makes you uncomfortable, Katya, you should turn down the offer. There are always other companies to work with."

"He doesn't make me uncomfortable necessarily…" At one point the words would have been a lie but Andrei Nikiforov ceased to intimidate her for the last few months. At first, he was absent in the next few projects that she did with his company but recently the man would show up without fail. "At this point, I'm more just puzzled. You remember the scathing remarks he made after his first modeling session with me. 'Mediocre at best.' I just don't understand why his company keeps offering me contracts to do so many projects if he is so dissatisfied. His marketing team was there too, so it's not as if it is a secret how he feels about my work."

"Do you think he was saying that so that he can pay you less?"

"No, that's not the case. He's actually been offering to pay me more these past few projects that I agreed to do." Yekaterina sat back. "I'll agree to this one, if only to find out once and for all what is going on inside that man's mind. If he's even going to be there." And if it was just like the last three photoshoots she had with his company, he will be there without fail, silently observing.

Later that month, Yekaterina smiled back at the director when he announced the end of their session. She got up and reached over to pick up the sheer fabric from the chair beside her and tied it around her waist to preserve some modicum of modesty since she was only clad in a bikini that revealed far too much skin for her own taste.

She had caught a glimpse of Andrei again at the very back of the beach during the first take and she was resolved to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all. She didn't have to look far, the alpha towering over all the other shorter locals underneath a grove of magnolia trees by a secluded area of the resort.

She walked with quick but quiet steps. The man's back was facing her but he must have sensed her approach because he turned around when she was only ten feet away from him, looking as if he expected her. The expression on his face frustrated Yekaterina. Was there nothing at all that perturbed this man?

She cleared her throat. "Mr. Nikiforov. I wanted to thank you for arranging all the transportation to take me here. It made the trip go much more smoothly since this is my first time in Thailand and I know nothing of the language or the culture." She paused to allow the man to speak, but the alpha simply stared back at her. That same piercing gaze again.

Yekaterina frowned, not being able to bear it much longer. "But I also wanted to ask, why do you keep arranging these projects with me? We both know how you feel about my work." Ah, finally a reaction. Andrei's blue eyes widened and he straightened himself, standing taller. "Mediocre, correct? Those were your words back in Moscow. So care to share with me why you still arrange all these commercials, all these photoshoots? Surely there are other much better models and actresses out there worthy of promoting your products."

Yekaterina grew bolder and took a step forward which caused the man to take a step back. It was the most discomfited she's ever seen the man and it gave her satisfaction to finally see him something other than composed. The months of frustration, of confusion and whirring emotions was finally pouring out of her and it was so cathartic. She couldn't stop now. "And why would the CEO himself attend so many of these events? Surely you have your own marketing person in charge of these things. What can you possibly have to do here? Or is this a business practice unique to your company that I'm not aware of?" She finished her rant with arms crossed over her chest as she glared up at him, daring him to answer her.

The man's nostrils flared as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes were a turbulent blue now, nothing like the cool icy steel that normally stared back at her. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth as if to speak but closed his lips again and frowned. After several moments he opened his eyes and looked back at her again. Yekaterina wasn't sure what to make of the emotions swirled behind those eyes.

"I've never been particularly good with words, Ms. Feltsman."

Yekaterina held her arms akimbo as she turned an eyebrow up at his statement, unimpressed, "Well then, Mr. Nikiforov, you'll just have to find another way to elucidate this matter because I'm not leaving without an explanation."

Andrei took a step forward, then two until he was towering above her. Yekaterina had to tilt her head further back to return his stare but refused to be intimidated, alpha male status be damned. She could almost see her own reflection in his eyes before they turned their gaze somewhere further down her face.

"Very well then, Katya."

Her eyes widened in surprise because it was the first time he had ever addressed her by her first name. She was unable to react further, however, because Andrei had cupped her cheek and bent down, catching her lips in a kiss.

"And then they lived happily ever after?" Viktor asked eagerly, eyes bright.

Lilia laughed and shook her head. It was endearing how much of a romantic her grandson was. He definitely took after Katya in that regard. "Oh no, not at all. Far from it, Vitya. In fact, your mother slapped your father and refused to do anymore projects with him for the next several months."

"Wait, but why? Wasn't that true love's kiss?"

Lilia paused to ponder his question for a moment. "In a way, yes. But I don't think your Mama realized that she was also in love with your Papa until much later."

"But then how did they get together if Mama no longer worked with him?"

Lilia smiled, thinking back to the chaos that ensued when Andrei Nikiforov showed up at their doorstep one April afternoon, six months after the incident in Thailand. Yakov was absolutely murderous and probably would have done something drastic if she and Katya had not intervened. "At that point, your Papa just had to court your Mama the old fashioned way."

"So he gave her flowers and gifts?"

"Yes, several in fact." And each and every one of them were more extravagant than the last. Andrei Nikiforov never did anything by halves and once he had his sights set on her daughter, the alpha could not be deterred. He pursued her with dogged determination. It was very amusing to see the alpha so clearly out of his comfort zone. It was obvious that he was used to getting what he wanted, and it must have been the first time in his life that he had to truly work for something. And he did so with a very charming, if not at times unnerving, tenacity.

"In the end, Katya fell in love with him."

"And where did they get married?"

"In the same resort in Thailand where they had their first kiss. They exchanged vows underneath the magnolia trees. That's why your Mama's favorite flowers are magnolias, Vitya." She caressed his cheek as Viktor smiled, imagining his parents happy and marrying by the beach. "And it was a gorgeous wedding." She glanced at the clock beside his bed. "It's getting late. One of these days, if you want, I can take out the photo albums so you can flip through the pictures."

"I'd love that! Thanks Baba!"

"Goodnight, Vitya," Lilia stood up and pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"Night night."

Viktor blinked up at the ceiling as he pictured a wedding by the beach. Speaking of weddings… Viktor laughed and smiled with giddiness. He was gonna get to marry Yuuri soon! Just one more gift. He had already chosen the pictures after he met with Phichit yesterday. Now all he had to do was ask his Baba and Deda to take him to a store to buy a frame for the two pictures.

And then after that… Viktor reached out to a place behind his head pillow, feeling for the jewelry box he wedged between it and the headboard earlier that week. He unwrapped it from the white handkerchief and opened the black velvet box to reveal the golden ring that now had a golden chain around it. He knew the ring was too big for Yuuri since it was too big even for his own thumbs, so he took a chain from the shortest necklace he could find from his mother's jewelry stash to thread into the ring so that Yuuri could wear it around his neck.

Viktor sighed as he tucked the ring back again in its hiding spot. Soon he can propose to Yuuri. He closed his eyes and turned in his bed to snuggle into his pillows, a grin spanning from cheek to cheek. He can already see in his mind's eye the image of Yuuri with wide burgundy eyes alight with surprise, his cheeks flushed red and his mouth open in disbelief as he accepted the ring.

"Then we can live happily ever after," Viktor mumbled into his pillow as he fell asleep, dreams filled with him and Yuuri running and having fun along the beach.


End file.
